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GNG TV: S&P Rallies Back to 4300 – Is It a Go?

In this edition of the GoNoGo Charts show, as equities rally right on seasonal cue, Alex and Tyler take a look across asset classes, sectors and review a few of the magnificent 7 that are holding up the broad cap-weighted indices. All that can be determined from this week’s trading is that the S&P 500 has reached a lower high.

This video originally premiered on November 3, 2023. Click this link to watch on YouTube.

Learn more about the GoNoGo ACP plug-in with the FREE starter plug-in or the full featured plug-in pack.

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Amazon used an algorithm to essentially raise prices on other sites, the FTC says

Amazon used a secret algorithm that essentially helped the company raise prices on other online sites and “destroyed” some internal communications as the Federal Trade Commission was investigating the company, according to a newly unredacted portions of the agency’s antitrust lawsuit against the e-commerce giant.

The new excerpts, unveiled Thursday, alleged company executives intentionally deleted communication by using a feature on the popular app Signal that makes messages disappear. By doing this, the FTC said Amazon “destroyed more than two years” worth of communications from June 2019 to “at least early 2022” despite instructions it gave Amazon not to do so.

In a prepared statement Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle called the FTC’s claim “baseless and irresponsible.”

“Amazon voluntarily disclosed employee Signal use to the FTC, painstakingly collected Signal conversations from its employees’ phones, and allowed agency staff to inspect those conversations even when they had nothing to do with the FTC’s investigation,” Doyle said.

The FTC and 17 states sued Amazon in September alleging the company was abusing its position in the marketplace to inflate prices on and off its platform, overcharge sellers and stifle competition. Amazon is accused of violating federal and state antitrust laws, but the company has responded with a full-throated defense of its business practices.

The antitrust case is the most aggressive move the government has taken to tame the market power of Amazon and comes as the FTC has been taking big swings against tech companies.

The unredacted excerpts of the lawsuit disclosed on Thursday also provided more details on a talked-about algorithm, which was previously reported by The Wall Street Journal and former Vox reporter Jason Del Ray.

The FTC’s excerpts say the tool — codenamed “Project Nessie” — has been used by Amazon to pinpoint products that will allow it to rake in more cash.

The company used it to predict where it can raise prices and have other shopping sites follow suit. Amazon activated the algorithm to raise prices on some products, and when other sites followed its lead, it kept the elevated prices in place, the agency said. The use of Nessie has generated more than $1 billion in excess profits for Amazon, according to the FTC.

“Aware of the public fallout it risks, Amazon has turned Project Nessie off during periods of heightened outside scrutiny and then back on when it thinks that no one is watching,” the complaint said.

The agency said Amazon deployed Project Nessie in 2014 and has turned it on and off at least eight times between 2015 and 2019. In 2018 alone, Amazon used the algorithm to set prices for items that were viewed more than 400 million times by shoppers, according to the complaint.

Regulators said though Amazon claims the algorithm is “currently paused,” the company has thought about running experiments in 2020 and 2021 to improve the effectiveness of Project Nessie. Doyle, the Amazon spokesperson, called Nessie an “old” pricing algorithm that’s being “grossly” mischaracterized by the agency.

“Nessie was used to try to stop our price matching from resulting in unusual outcomes where prices became so low that they were unsustainable,” he said. “The project ran for a few years on a subset of products, but didn’t work as intended, so we scrapped it several years ago.”

The unredacted portions of the lawsuit also shed more light on Amazon’s advertising business. The agency claimed then-CEO Jeff Bezos instructed executives to accept more junk ads — internally called “defects” — because the company could earn more money through increased advertising despite their presence being a headache for consumers.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty on all counts at fraud trial over crypto exchange FTX

Sam Bankman-Fried, once hailed as a genius in cryptocurrency, was found guilty Thursday of all fraud counts against him, a year after his exchange, FTX, imploded and practically wiped out thousands of customers.

The verdict was reached around 7:40 p.m. ET, about four hours after the federal jury in Manhattan began deliberations.

Bankman-Fried, a co-founder of the digital currency exchange FTX, was charged with seven counts of wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering that swindled customers of FTX and lenders to its affiliated hedge fund, Alameda Research.

Bankman-Fried “perpetrated one of the biggest financial frauds in American history,” Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said after the verdict.

“The cryptocurrency industry might be new; the players like Bankman-Fried might be new,” Williams said. “But this kind of fraud, this kind of corruption, is as old as time.”

Bankman-Fried faces up to 110 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for March 28.

FTX and Alameda quickly collapsed in November 2022 after some of their financial liabilities were exposed. The fact that Alameda had taken billions of dollars from FTX’s customers, and that much of Alameda’s balance sheet comprised digital currency assets the firm itself had created, was central to the case against Bankman-Fried.

Unnerved by disclosures about the firm’s financial position, many of FTX’s customers tried to get their money back. That set off the equivalent of a bank run.

The value of Alameda’s investments crashed, and FTX couldn’t return much of clients’ money because it had been given to Alameda. Some went to the fund’s lenders, and billions were spent on sponsorships, commercials and loans to top executives. That, too, was a major part of the case against Bankman-Fried.

Many of FTX and Alameda’s leaders were also charged after the firms went under. Former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison, FTX co-founder Gary Wang and FTX head of engineering Nishad Singh all pleaded guilty. They agreed to cooperate with the prosecution and testify against Bankman-Fried in exchange for lighter sentences.

While Bankman-Fried testified in his own defense, it didn’t appear to have the same weight as the insider testimony against him. The prosecution, in its closing argument, said Bankman-Fried had answered “I can’t recall” 140 times while he was being cross-examined.

Bankman-Fried’s lawyers contended that he did not intend to defraud anyone and that the government was looking for someone to blame after the failures of FTX and Alameda.

Bankman-Fried was asked to rise and face the jury as the verdicts were read Thursday, and he did so. He showed little emotion as each verdict was read.

His father slumped in his seat, hunched over as each guilty verdict came in. His mother was visibly emotional.

Mark S. Cohen, Bankman-Fried’s counsel, said in an emailed statement Thursday that Bankman-Fried’s legal team respects the jury’s decision but that they are disappointed.

“Mr. Bankman–Fried maintains his innocence and will continue to vigorously fight the charges against him,” he said.

Forbes had once estimated that Bankman-Fried’s stakes in Alameda and FTX were worth $26 billion. He was 29 at the time. But after the bankruptcies, that was gone. Criminal charges followed weeks later.

He also faces another trial on charges of bribing foreign officials and other counts. That trial is scheduled to begin in March, and he has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

On Thursday, Bankman-Fried was found guilty of two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud.

Williams, the prosecutor, said Bankman-Fried’s conviction should send a message to others.

“It’s a warning, this case, to every single fraudster out there who thinks that they’re untouchable or that their crimes are too complex for us to catch or that they’re too powerful for us to prosecute or that they could try to talk their way out of it when they get caught,” he said. “Those folks should think again.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Starbucks unveils plan to add 17,000 locations by 2030

Starbucks on Thursday presented the latest stage in its plan to drive growth for the company, which involves accelerating its global footprint and saving $3 billion in costs over the next three years.

The company said it plans to expand to 35,000 locations outside of North America by 2030. Starbucks currently has roughly 20,200 international cafes, as of Oct. 1. In total, the coffee giant aims to reach 55,000 locations globally by 2030, up from its current count of more than 38,000.

“Three out of every four new stores over the near term is expected to be opened outside of the U.S. as our store portfolio becomes increasingly global,” Michael Conway, president of Starbucks’ international and channel development divisions, said during a company presentation.

Starbucks also announced a $3 billion cost-saving plan. Executives said $1 billion of those savings will come from making its stores more efficient. The rest will come from savings on the cost of goods sold.

The final piece of what Starbucks called its “Triple Shot Reinvention Strategy,” announced Thursday, calls for wage increases for baristas, doubling their hourly income over fiscal 2020 earnings by the end of fiscal 2025. That jump will come from both increased hours and higher pay. Starbucks said it would share more details next week.

The announcement comes after more than 350 Starbucks locations have unionized under Workers United, according to National Labor Relations Board data. Starbucks and the union have not yet reached a collective bargaining agreement at any of those locations, and both the union and the NLRB have accused Starbucks of breaking federal labor law, including illegally withholding wage hikes at union stores. The company denies all allegations of union busting.

Momentum brewing

Earlier Thursday, the company reported its fiscal fourth-quarter results. Starbucks beat Wall Street’s estimates for both its quarterly earnings and revenue, sending shares up 9.5%. The stock move reversed shares’ losses earlier this year, giving the company a market cap of $115 billion, as of Thursday’s close.

During the company’s conference call, CEO Laxman Narasimhan said the company’s “reinvention” plan unveiled last September is moving ahead of schedule, driving both sales and efficiency for Starbucks. For example, the chain’s new single-cup drip coffee brewer is now installed in more than 600 locations.

More broadly, that plan takes aim at many of the issues plaguing Starbucks and baristas in recent years. Drink orders have grown more complicated and time-intensive as cold beverages become more popular and Starbucks pushes pricey add-ons such as cold foam. Customers have also shifted to ordering their drinks through the company’s mobile app and drive-thru lanes and expect their orders to arrive more quickly. Under that pressure, baristas have struggled to maintain speedy service and quality customer experience.

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz unveiled the reinvention plan to simplify operations and improve both quality and speed of service more than a year ago. The strategy involves new coffee-making equipment and store formats plus more automation.

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Schultz, then back at the company for a third stint in the top job, said Starbucks had made “self-induced mistakes” and lost its way. He stepped down from the role in March, handing the reins over to Narasimhan, a newcomer to the company who pledged to enact the plan.

At its investor day last September, Starbucks projected earnings per share growth of 15% to 20% annually over the next three years and annual same-store sales growth of 7% to 9%. The company’s same-store sales outlook of 5% to 7% for fiscal 2024 falls short of that range, but the rest of its forecast for the next fiscal year meets those targets.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Hiring is slowing — slowly. It might be just what the economy needs.

Weaker-than-expected job growth in October and a slight uptick in unemployment show the red-hot job market is finally cooling. That’s a good thing.

The Federal Reserve has been trying to get the worst inflation in years under control by raising interest rates. A slowing job market may be evidence that its strategy is working.

“With less heat seen in the job market, this report should go over well at the Federal Reserve,” Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate, said in a note Friday. For the second time in a row, the Fed left rates untouched at a 23-year high after its latest meeting Wednesday, while keeping alive the possibility of further hikes if inflation resurges.

“Fed officials looking for more tempered economic data sure found it in this month’s jobs numbers,” agreed Jesse Wheeler, senior economist at Morning Consult. “The rate hiking cycle may have come to an end,” he predicted in a note after the jobs data came out.

People wait in line during a career fair Thursday in Los Angeles.Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images

Some policymakers have worried the Fed has been too aggressive and will tip the economy into recession. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and other progressives have accused Fed Chairman Jerome Powell of sacrificing millions of American jobs to combat inflation, which clocked in at an annual rate of 3.7% in September. That’s much lower than the 9.1% peak hit in June 2022 but still well above the Fed’s 2% target. The Goldilocks scenario is if the job market can remain solid but cool slightly — and gradually — while inflation continues to trend lower.

One month does not make a trend, of course. The labor market’s sturdy performance has surprised most economists over the past year. While October’s 150,000 net job gains came in lower than expected — nearly half of September’s revised level — hiring growth is still strong.

Compared with the 258,000 monthly average over the past 12 months, last month’s job gains look rather low. But if not for the United Auto Workers strikes, October’s hiring levels would be on par with the 179,000 jobs added each month on average during the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Many striking autoworkers are already back on the job and will be reflected in next month’s data. (All but around 2,000 of the 35,000 jobs lost across the manufacturing sector last month came from the auto industry.)

Overall, many economists say the labor market remains resilient, posting 34 consecutive months of job growth and a jobless rate below 4% for the last two years.

And while millions of households are still struggling with basic expenses ranging from housing to groceries in a year when most pandemic-era lifelines have expired, many workers’ paychecks are still growing faster than inflation is eating them up. Average hourly earnings have eased, but year-over-year wages are up 4.1%, compared with a 3.7% annual increase in consumer prices.

So far, that has made many consumers comfortable continuing to spend, even if they pull back in some areas or get more vigilant about hunting for deals.

“The good news here for workers is that in the horserace against inflation, wages are ahead by a nose,” Hamrick wrote.

And this is one race where slow and steady wins.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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NFL Week 9 picks: Who wins battle of AFC’s elite teams?

The first half of the 2023 NFL season should conclude on some memorable notes.

One team, the Las Vegas Raiders, has fired its head coach and will also make a quarterback switch. Several others are also making changes behind center, Kirk Cousins’ season-ending Achilles tear having a domino effect as the Minnesota Vikings turn to rookie Jaren Hall now but perhaps eventually to newly acquired Joshua Dobbs − his trade from the Arizona Cardinals necessitating a different starter for them.

Then there’s a sweet lineup of matchups.

The Tyreek Hill revenge game between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs can be seen Sunday morning in the United States … because it will be played in Frankfurt, Germany. Later that day, the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens will host the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks. And in Sunday’s late-afternoon a window, a showdown of fierce rivals as the Dallas Cowboys visit the Philadelphia Eagles, owners of the league’s best record (7-1).

Sunday night, the Buffalo Bills go back to Cincinnati to play the Bengals 10 months after their game was canceled by S Damar Hamlin’s frightening cardiac event. Looking forward to this season’s drama at Paycor Stadium being limited to the football game.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Now, our experts’ picks:

(Odds provided by BetMGM. Access more BetMGM odds here.)

Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh SteelersMiami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs (in Germany)Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta FalconsSeattle Seahawks at Baltimore RavensArizona Cardinals at Cleveland BrownsLos Angeles Rams at Green Bay PackersTampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston TexansWashington Commanders at New England PatriotsChicago Bears at New Orleans SaintsIndianapolis Colts at Carolina PanthersNew York Giants at Las Vegas RaidersDallas Cowboys at Philadelphia EaglesBuffalo Bills at Cincinnati BengalsLos Angeles Chargers at New York Jets

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

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Soccer standout to NFL secret weapon: Meet Cowboys’ historic kicker

Skip Holtz was going to follow John Carney’s recommendation no matter what when it came to taking a kicker in last year’s inaugural USFL draft. They were teammates at Notre Dame in the 1980s, with Carney going on to kick in the NFL for 23 years and Holtz becoming a coach who eventually landed with the Birmingham Stallions in the startup spring football league. 

Carney, who runs a kicking academy based in California, had six names for Holtz. That was a problem, Holtz told his friend. The Stallions picked eighth in the 32nd round, the one designated for teams to pick kickers.

“(Carney) said, ‘Skip, I got one guy that could probably be better than all of them. But it’s hard for me to give him to you, because he’s never kicked in a game,’” Holtz told USA TODAY Sports by phone this week.  

The player was Brandon Aubrey, a former first-round Major League Soccer draft pick trying to break into the professional ranks of a sport new to him.

Less than two years later, Aubrey is the kicker for his hometown Dallas Cowboys. The 28-year-old rookie was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October and has tied a record by making his first 18 field goals in the NFL.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

“I know an awful lot of people passed on him,’ Holtz said. ‘I was just excited to see him to get his opportunity and what he’s doing with it right now.’

Better with his head than foot

As a freshman on the Notre Dame men’s soccer team, Aubrey played 10 minutes in the national championship against Maryland, a 2-1 victory for the Fighting Irish. Aubrey was a starter for the next three years, earning All-American status as a senior.

At 6-foot-3, Aubrey scored more often with his head than his foot, former Notre Dame coach Bobby Clark said.

“He was good in the air, he was good at heading the ball. He could get on the other end of corner kicks, so he scored a lot of goals with his head,’ Clark told USA TODAY Sports. ‘But he also had a great shot. He really had a very, very good shot and he would take quite a lot of our penalty kicks. Not many goalkeeper’s (were) going to stop his shot.”

One time, Clark recalled, Aubrey scored against Indiana in sudden-death overtime by drilling a ball to the top corner from 30 yards out.

“I don’t think the goalie had any chance,” Clark said.

Toronto FC selected him 21st overall in the 2017 MLS draft, with hopes he’d be part of their long-term plans at central defense. But he spent that year with their United Soccer League team, Toronto FC II, and was released. He signed with Bethlehem FC, the Philadelphia Union’s USL squad, for the 2018 season and was again let go.

“He couldn’t have been far away,’ said Clark, who retired in 2017 and moved back to his native Scotland. ‘Because he played for the B-teams quite happily, but he never made that jump from college to (MLS).

“Lovely boy. Great lad. Quiet boy. He was a smart boy.”

Aubrey put his computer science degree from ND to use and became a software engineer.

“I never knew he kicked field goals,” Clark said.

“Quite glad that the football coach never heard about him. He might have pinched him.”

Two years of training leads to pro shot

Brian Egan is the National Director of Kicking for One on One Kicking, which trains punters, kickers and long-snappers at all levels, from Pop Warner to the NFL. Aubrey showed up at one of Egan’s free high school camps in Frisco, Texas, in 2019.

“Obviously, figured out pretty quickly he wasn’t in high school,” Egan told USA TODAY Sports.

Aubrey explained his soccer background and what he was looking to accomplish.

“We just came up with a plan and started training,” Egan said.

That meant Aubrey drove from his job at GMC three times per week to Frisco for training sessions that lasted 90 minutes to two hours. The first focus was refining Aubrey’s kicking form. Egan wanted him to build the muscle memory of kicking a field goal, so there were lots of dry repetition drills. Then Aubrey would hit 40 to 55 balls per workout.

“It’s kind of like a pitcher in baseball … you don’t want to over-kick your guys, especially somebody like Brandon, who’s learning,” Egan said.

For someone who could have stayed in the engineering world and left his athletic career behind, Aubrey had the respect of Egan from the beginning.

‘The drive that he had, I really believed in him,’ Egan said. ‘I’m going to take you as seriously as you take the craft that you’re doing. He showed up every time when he said he was going to show up. He said what he was going to do. Ultimately, it’s hard not to root for and pull for a guy like that.

‘I really wanted to honor that and make sure that if he’s going to show up and put in the work, I’d be right there with him.’

Once he reached a certain level, Egan said, they sent his film to Carney. Aubrey attended a free-agent kicking event to see how he stacked up against the competition.

Near perfection in the NFL

The Cowboys signed Aubrey in early July, not long after the Stallions won their second straight USFL title. During that span, Aubrey was 32-for-37 on field goals. He was a perfect 35-for-35 on extra points in 2022.

But on the dreary night of Sept. 10 in New Jersey, Aubrey pushed the first regular-season extra point of his NFL career wide left.

Holtz couldn’t believe it.

‘I was like, ‘Oh my God, are you kidding me?” Holtz said.

Dallas had moved on from kicker Brett Maher primarily due to his extra-point implosion against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC wild-card round. The inexperienced kicker could have followed a similar fate. Instead, he made both of his field goals and all three extra-points the rest of that game and has not missed since.

“His talent, his demeanor, his attitude – he’s such a likeable guy, because he’s so low-key, he’s one of the guys,’ Holtz said.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has said that Aubrey reminds him of his former kicker with the Green Bay Packers, Mason Crosby. After cutting Aubrey’s training camp competition, Tristan Vizcaino, in August, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team was ‘comfortable going into the season with him.’ In seven games, Aubrey has connected from beyond 50 yards three times, including a 58-yarder against the Los Angeles Rams

“He is really stroking the ball at a really high level right now,’ McCarthy said Sunday. 

It took a while for the Stallions to know what they had in Aubrey. Their practice field had no goal posts, and when they did arrive, they were college-sized uprights. Players would lock arms the length of the cross bar, and those on the line held their arms up to be uprights.

‘We had no idea what we had, really, until we got into the first game when we could see Brandon kick under pressure,’ Holtz said. ‘And he was money.”

Aubrey earned the goodwill of his Stallions teammates by being his humble, outgoing self, Holtz said. But his athletic background helped him fit into the locker room.

“He was a soccer player. He played in college. He played in MLS. So it’s not like he was just a kicker,’ Holtz said. ‘He was an athlete.

“When he decided to (kick), I think he took a lot of competitive juices from when he was an athlete and brought that with him as a kicker.”

Egan, who like Holtz grew up a Cowboys fan, said that Aubrey’s soccer career not going as planned has given him a chip on his shoulder for his second act.

‘It’s been amazing, just seeing where he started to where he is now,’ Egan said. ‘Going from training for two years straight, not knowing if he’d ever have the opportunity to play professional football, to getting signed by the USFL, to play there at a high level for two years, and now being a Dallas Cowboy. It’s been a heckuva ride and just a joy to watch.’

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Iowa football fan’s obit asks for prayers for dismal offense

The story of Iowa’s offense has been talked about, dissected, and ridiculed to the point that before the season offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz was mandated that the offense score 325 points or he would lose his job.

Ferentz’s status didn’t even make it to November before Iowa’s interim athletic director Beth Goetz sent him packing saying he would not return to the team next season, but allowed him to continue coaching through the season.

The nepotism and Ferentz’s $850,000 salary didn’t make things better in Hawkeye land.

The understatement of the year came in this statement by Goetz: ‘Our struggles on offense coupled with the offensive coordinator’s contract make this a unique situation.’

Iowa fans have even resorted to asking for divine intervention to help the putrid offense.

Dr. B. Eleanor Anstey, who was described as a ‘lover of music & the arts, as a world traveler, as an author, U of I Associate Professor Emerita in the School of Social Work,’ died Oct. 25 at the age of 97.

‘In lieu of flowers please make a donation to a charity of your choice or simply say a prayer for the Iowa Hawkeyes offense on her behalf.’

Brutal.

Iowa’s offense is dead last in the NCAA in total offense, averaging just 232.4 yards a game. The Hawkeyes don’t have a single passing play over 40 yards, and their 19.5 points per game average ranks 120th in the nation.

Iowa’s opponent this weekend is Northwestern, another team that struggles to put the ball in the end zone. Las Vegas has the over/under at 29.5 points and, according to Circa Sports, it’s the lowest in college football history.

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WATCH: LL Cool J revamps ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ for NBA tournament

The NBA is making sure that fans know the in-season tournament is not just a series of regular season games, it’s B.A.D.

The league released the anthem for the in-season tournament on Friday to help differentiate the games and get fans pumped for the competition. LL Cool J revamped his classic hit ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ by blending it with The Roots’ ‘Here I Come.’

The promotional video plays homage to the original music video for the platinum song where the New York-bred emcee, actor and entrepreneur performs in a boxing ring. The hanging mic and same intensity are elements of the new visual, which shows the coveted NBA Cup and tunnel walks from LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker looking fierce before LL jumps into his first lines and Questlove pounds away on the drums.

LL Cool J has been a longtime supporter of the sport and launched the Jump & Ball nonprofit basketball camp in 2015 for local youth in Queens.

“I’ve been a fan of the NBA ever since I can remember, and it’s a real honor to have my record serving as the anthem for this monumental moment,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member said in a statement. “I’m excited to see the energy of the song translate to the play on the court during the NBA in-season tournament.”

Group play for the NBA In-Season Tournament tips off on Friday. The song will play throughout the competition, leading up to the championship game on Dec. 9 in Las Vegas.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Ohtani headlines 130-player MLB free agent class

NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell and Aaron Nola were among the 130 players who became free agents Thursday as baseball’s business season began the day following the Texas Rangers’ first World Series title.

Max Muncy, Joe Jiménez and Colin Rea gave up a chance to go free and agreed to new contracts with their teams.

That free agent market also includes Sonny Gray, Josh Hader, Matt Chapman, Jorge Soler and J.D. Martinez.

Minnesota prevented outfielder Max Kepler and infielder Jorge Polanco from going free, exercising a $10 million option on Kepler and and $10.5 million option on Polanco. Each would have been owed a $1 million buyout had the option been declined.

At the start of the day, 61 additional players had the potential to go free by Monday, depending on decisions on options and opt outs.

FOLLOW THE MONEY: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team

Players may start negotiating with any team at 5 p.m. EST Monday, also the deadline for teams to make qualifying offers. Players may receive a qualifying offer if they spent the entire season with the team and have not previously received a qualifying offer. The amount is the average of the top 125 contracts by average annual value.

This year’s offer price is $20,625,000, up from $19.65 million last year.

Qualifying offers began after the 2012 season, and 10 of 124 offers have been accepted. Among the 14 players given offers last year, the only players to accept were outfielder Joc Pederson with San Francisco and left-hander Martín Pérez with Texas.

Rather than go free, Muncy agreed to a $24 million, two-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jiménez agreed to a $26 million, three-year contract with Atlanta and Rea got a $4.5 million, one-year contract with Milwaukee. The Brewers declined a $7.25 million option on left-hander Andrew Chafin and a $2.5 million option on left-hander Justin Wilson. They owe buyouts of $750,000 to Chafin and $150,000 to Wilson.

Washington declined a $3.3 million option on outfielder Victor Robles, who would be eligible for arbitration if tendered a contract.

Arizona Diamondbacks (3): Lourdes Gurriel, Evan Longoria, Tommy Pham 

Atlanta Braves (2): Jesse Chavez, Kevin Pillar 

Baltimore Orioles (5): Jack Flaherty, Adam Frazier, Shintaro Fujinami, Kyle Gibson, Aaron Hicks 

Boston Red Sox (3): Adam Duvall, Adalberto Mondesí, James Paxton 

Chicago Cubs (4): Jeimer Candelario, Tyler Duffey, Michael Fulmer, Shane Greene 

Chicago White Sox (4): Elvis Andrus, Yasmani Grandal, Bryan Shaw, José Ureña 

Cincinnati Reds (2): Harrison Bader, Buck Farmer 

Cleveland Guardians (3): Kole Calhoun, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López 

Colorado Rockies (3): Chase Anderson, Chris Flexen, Brent Suter 

Detroit Tigers (2): Matt Boyd, José Cisnero 

Houston Astros (4): Michael Brantley, Martín Maldonado, Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek 

Kansas City Royals (3): Matt M. Duffy, Zack Greinke, Brad Keller 

Los Angeles Angels (5): C.J. Cron, Randal Grichuk, Mike Moustakas, Shohei Ohtani, Giovanny Urshela 

Los Angeles Dodgers (12): Ryan Brasier, Kiké Hernández, Jason Heyward, Clayton Kershaw, Jake Marisnick, J.D. Martinez, Shelby Miller, Jimmy Nelson, David Peralta, Amed Rosario, Julio Urías, Kolten Wong 

Miami Marlins (3): Yulieski Gurriel, David Robertson, Joey Wendle 

Milwaukee Brewers (6): Víctor Caratini, Josh Donaldson, Colin Rea*, Darin Ruf, Carlos Santana, Jesse Winker 

Minnesota Twins (8): Joey Gallo, Sonny Gray, Dallas Keuchel, Kenta Maeda, Tyler Mahle, Emilio Pagán, Donovan Solano, Michael A. Taylor 

New York Mets (1): Carlos Carrasco 

New York Yankees (7): Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Zach McAllister, Keynan Middleton, Frankie Montas, Wandy Peralta, Luis Severino, Luke Weaver 

Oakland A’s (2): Tony Kemp, Trevor May 

Philadelphia Phillies (4): Rhys Hoskins, Craig Kimbrel, Michael Lorenzen, Aaron Nola 

Pittsburgh Pirates (2): Andrew McCutchen, Vincent Velasquez 

St. Louis Cardinals (1): Drew VerHagen  

San Diego Padres (9): Ji-Man Choi, Garrett Cooper, Luis Am. García, Josh Hader, Rich Hill, Drew Pomeranz, Jurickson Profar, Gary Sánchez, Blake Snell 

San Francisco Giants (7): Scott Alexander, John Brebbia, Brandon Crawford, Jake Junis, Joc Pederson, Roberto Pérez, Alex Wood 

Seattle Mariners (3): Teoscar Hernández, Dominic Leone, Tom Murphy 

Tampa Bay Rays (3): Chris Devenski, Jacob Diekman, Robert Stephenson 

Texas Rangers (12): Aroldis Chapman, Mitch Garver, Robbie Grossman, Austin Hedges, Travis Jankowski, Ian Kennedy, Brad Miller, Jordan Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi, Martín Pérez, Will M. Smith, Chris Stratton 

Toronto Blue Jays (6): Brandon Belt, Matt Chapman, Jordan Hicks, Jay Jackson, Kevin Kiermaier, Hyun-Jin Ryu 

Washington Nationals (1): C.J. Edwards 

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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