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The Senate prioritized confirming President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees up until the last hours of the upper chamber’s business sessions before the holiday recess, finalizing a portion of the more than 160 nominees Biden had advocated for this year. A majority of his picks are women and people of color, fulfilling his promise to ‘diversify’ the federal bench.  

A Pew Research Center report found that as of Nov. 5, women who were black, hispanic, asian, or part of another minority group accounted for 42% of the judges Biden had appointed, including Biden’s sole appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the highest court.

According to Ballotpedia, there are approximately 1,770 authorized judgeships distributed across 209 courts in the federal court system. Nearly half of these judgeships are filled by the president’s choice, entitling the appointees to lifelong terms. Others are chosen by current judges and serve for specific periods.

Here’s a list of a few of the judges the Senate confirmed in recent months:

Jerry Edwards Jr.: Confirmed as the first Black federal judge in Louisiana’s U.S. Western District Court, Edwards served as first assistant U.S. attorney and chief of the civil division in Shreveport before his confirmation. His legal career and experience provide a fresh perspective to the Louisiana judiciary. 

Irma Carrillo Ramirez: Confirmed as the first Latina judge on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a notably conservative court. Ramirez has extensive experience presiding over civil cases. Her confirmation, with an 80-12 bipartisan vote, contrasts sharply with other contentious Biden nominees. Ramirez has extensive legal experience, from her bachelor’s degree at West Texas State University to her tenure as a federal magistrate since 2002.

Loren AliKhan: Confirmed as the first South Asian woman on the federal trial court in the District of Columbia, AliKhan served as an associate judge on the DC Court of Appeals before her confirmation. Notable cases include representing the District of Columbia in a tax dispute and involvement in litigation concerning the Affordable Care Act. 

Shanlyn Park: Confirmed as the first Native Hawaiian woman federal judge in Hawaii’s U.S. District Court, Park previously served as a state court judge and assistant federal public defender. Her varied legal background contributes to a diverse perspective on the judiciary. 

Ana de Alba: Elevated to the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, de Alba, a first-generation Mexican-American, previously served as a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of California. She’s recognized for her legal advocacy in civil and labor rights. 

Brandy R. McMillion: Nominated to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, McMillion is the 50th Black judge and the 101st person of color appointed under the Biden administration. McMillion brings legal experience from roles at Bryan Cave LLP, Perkins Coie LLP, and Pepper Hamilton LLP. Originally from Ohio and later moving to Michigan, McMillion earned her law degree from George Washington University Law School following engineering degrees from the University of Michigan. She has tried six cases to verdict or final decision, including involvement in a high-profile case prosecuting alleged health care fraud. 

Mónica Ramírez Almadani: Confirmed as a federal district judge for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Ramírez Almadani brings a rich background from Public Counsel, Covington & Burling LLP, and the United States Department of Justice, emphasizing civil rights, immigration matters, and white-collar defense. From 2005 to 2009, Almadani worked at the national American Civil Liberties Union Foundation’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, handling immigration litigation in federal courts. She has also served as a Trustee of the Mexican American Bar Foundation since 2017.

Jennifer L. Hall: Hall was confirmed as the next U.S. District Judge for the District of Delaware on Oct. 18. She served as a magistrate judge with significant experience in patent cases and has a legal background encompassing the U.S. Attorney’s Office, clerkships, and litigating patent cases. Hall presided over several high profile cases, including one involving an Eighth Amendment claim by an incarcerated individual who alleged being deprived of a mattress. She found the inmate had been without a mattress for a month, yet concluded it was due to a legitimate security reason, as he had damaged previous mattresses. In another case, she recommended dismissing certain discrimination claims by a black Muslim firefighter due to insufficient supporting details in the complaint.

Mustafa Kasubhai: Kusaubhai stands as the successor to U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken, who transitioned to senior status retirement. His appointment as a magistrate marked him as the first Muslim American on the federal bench. Kasubhai was born in Reseda, California, in 1970 to immigrant parents from Mumbai, India. Kasubhai served on the Lane County Circuit Court for approximately a decade before his federal appointment. Prior to his tenure as a judge, he practiced civil law in Eugene and Klamath Falls. He obtained his J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1996. Following law school, he went into private practice, initially focusing on family law. Subsequently, he specialized in labor law litigation, representing injured workers before the Oregon Workers’ Compensation Board and in 1998 established his own labor law firm, Kasubhai & Sánchez.

Rich Federico: Frederico, a Kansas federal public defender was confirmed to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, marking Biden’s second appointment to the Denver-based court. The bipartisan vote of 61-29 on Dec. 11, backed by support from both of Kansas’ Republican senators, contributes to a record number of circuit court judges with public defender backgrounds appointed by Biden, marked the administration’s effort to diversify the federal bench traditionally led by former prosecutors and large law firm attorneys. According to the progressive advocacy group Alliance for Justice, an additional 36 of Biden’s confirmed judicial nominees had previous roles as public defenders.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

In this episode of StockCharts TV‘s The MEM Edge, join Mary Ellen as she as she dives into the latest news and trends that are driving price action in the markets. From housing updates to consumer confidence and inflationary data, she breaks it all down and shows you how it’s impacting the broader markets. Focusing on industry groups and sectors, she uncovers the hidden gems that are showing strength, sharing her top picks for potential investment opportunities.

This video originally premiered December 22, 2023. Click on the above image to watch on our dedicated MEM Edge page on StockCharts TV, or click this link to watch on YouTube.

New episodes of The MEM Edge premiere weekly on Fridays. You can view all previously recorded episodes at this link. You can also receive a 4-week free trial of her MEM Edge Report by clicking the image below.

The markets were handed a holiday gift today after the Commerce Department reported that underlying inflation pressures are continuing to slow down. This has left more income at the disposal of households which, in turn, is helping to strengthen consumer spending and the overall economy. The news sets the stage for interest rates to continue to decline as well, with rate cuts by the Fed anticipated as early as March. This is great news for the broader markets as well as for individual areas, several of which can benefit the most from this backdrop.

Daily Chart of S&P 500 Index ($SPX)

As for areas that will benefit most from a rising stock market amid a continued drop in interest rates, the Financial sector has several areas already seeing growth. Among them is brokerage firm Charles Schwab (SCWB), which recently reported that total client assets were up 12% year-over-year for the month of November. The increase comes as investor confidence in the markets expands and individuals put money to work.

Daily Chart of Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW)

The stock gapped up into a base breakout on heavy volume following the news. Since then, SCHW has pulled back to its upward trending 10-day moving average, where its found support. With both the RSI and MACD in positive territory, the stock is poised to trade higher.

Asset management firms are also benefiting due to increased AUM amid a rise in portfolio values as the markets hit year-to-date highs. Blackrock (BLK), among the largest asset managers, is poised to break out of a flag formation following a 5-month base breakout which took place earlier this month. The company is moving closer to the approval of their new Bitcoin ETF, which has attracted positive attention to this 2.5%-yielder. A move above $820 on volume would be quite bullish for BLK.

Daily Chart of Blackrock (BLK)

Other financial stocks are on the move as well, such as bank stocks that continue to trend higher. Subscribers to my MEM Edge Report were alerted to the new uptrend in mid-November, when we added two Regional Banks to our suggested holdings list. Both stocks have pulled back to key support this week after posting double-digit returns, as they prepare for another leg higher. Use this link here to access these stocks, as well as other stocks poised to trade higher. Your 4-week trial to my twice weekly report returns also provides broader market insights not found elsewhere else, as well as detailed sector and stock selection ideas.

May you have a fantastic holiday weekend!

Warmly,

Mary Ellen McGonagle

MEM Investment Research

The end of the year provides a natural opportunity to look back and reflect on what we learned over the last 12 months as investors. I very much enjoyed thinking about how to tell the story of this market in just five charts, and to be completely honest, the videos below include way more than that!

But as much we love to make things more complicated for ourselves, mindful investors know that simple is often the best approach. So, by boiling down this year into five major themes and using these charts as a starting point to a deeper analysis of each, I found it to be a rewarding and at times eye-opening experience.

You can access the full playlist of the Top Five Charts on our YouTube channel, and you are welcome to ChartList I used during the videos, which you can find right HERE!

Without further ado, here are the five charts I selected, along with descriptions and video links. I hope you can use these as inspiration for your own year-end process and performance review!

Chart #1: S&P 500

As Ralph Acampora told me years ago, “Always start with a simple chart of the S&P 500.” And it’s been a fascinating year to do so, with each quarter providing a unique experience for investors, including plenty of ups and downs.

Looking back, I’m struck by what a sideways market we experienced really through the end of May. The S&P started with a strong January, but subsequent months basically brought retests of previous highs and previous lows, and no real indication of bullishness or bearishness on the larger timeframe.

June’s breakout provided a perfect example of the bearish momentum divergence, as negative momentum into the July high indicated an exhaustion of buyers. I also find myself focusing in on the October low, which caused me to be quite bearish at the time. That was definitely one of my key lessons learned in 2023, especially the importance of recognizing a clear change of character in November.

Chart #2: Ten Year Treasury Yield

Back in January 2023, I was asked during an interview to identify the most important chart to watch in 2023. I answered this chart, the Ten Year Treasury Yield ($TNX), along with the value vs. growth ratio. My thesis was that many investors had not experienced a rising rate environment (including me!), so this could mean some painful lessons as value outperformed growth as interest rates pushed higher.

As the chart clearly shows, the Ten Year Yield going from around 4% to 5%, completing a long journey from almost zero rates not long ago, did not provide the tailwind for value stocks that I expected. What a beautiful testament to the benefits of including macroeconomic analysis as part of a holistic investment approach, but also the importance of focusing on the evidence of price itself. If the charts say growth is outperforming, I’m going to want to stick with growth until proven otherwise.

Chart #3: Market Breadth

Breadth analysis is an essential component to my analytical process, as it addresses the issues related to our growth-oriented benchmarks being dominated by a small number of mega-cap stocks.

This chart includes three different breadth indicators: the S&P 500 Bullish Percent Index, the Percent of Stocks Above the 50-day Moving Average, and the McClellan Oscillator. With the first two indicators at 80% and 90%, respectively, this suggests a potential exhaustion point to the current upswing, similar to what we observed in July 2023, November 2022, and August 2022.

Chart #4: Leadership Themes

I have been thinking of 2023 as the year of mega-cap growth, but this fourth chart that it actually wasn’t about growth over value, but rather large over small. Reviewing the nine Morningstar style boxes, it’s clear that, while growth did indeed outperform value, it was overall more of large vs. small story.

Large-cap growth has outperformed large-cap value by almost 900 basis points (nine percent), but has outperformed mid-cap and small-cap style boxes by around 1300 basis points. Our benchmarks have been powering higher, propelled by the strength of large-cap growth, and one of the most important questions for 2024 will be whether this stretch of domination will continue.

Chart #5: Bitcoin

Higher highs and higher lows make an uptrend. And while Bitcoin ($BTCUSD) did not show that general pattern in the middle of 2023, it started the year strong and certainly ended the year in a position of strength.

Bitcoin has nearly tripled in value since December 2022, starting with a significant rally into an April high. But from March through October, Bitcoin basically was rangebound between 25,000 and 31,000. I remember laying out a game plan, which involved following the price momentum fueling any exit from that range. Sure enough, in October, we witnessed an upside breakout inspired by renewed optimism for a potential announcement confirming new spot Bitcoin ETFs. While that news has not yet arrived, the bullish uptrend shows that investors remain eager for this huge potential catalyst.

During my years in the Fidelity Chart Room, I was often reminded that charts can tell the best stories about market history. And as each new year concludes, the charts can provide a fantastic report card for your performance, a history textbook filled with practical lessons for years to come, and a reminder of the value of technical analysis in helping us identify opportunities and manage risk.

I hope these discussions inspire you to have a thorough review session as we wrap 2023, and an honest assessment of how you can improve your investing toolkit in 2024.

Happy holidays, thank you for making StockCharts a part of your process, and I’ll look forward to more great charts and conversations in the new year!

RR#6,

Dave

P.S. Ready to upgrade your investment process? Check out my free behavioral investing course!

David Keller, CMT

Chief Market Strategist

StockCharts.com

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

The author does not have a position in mentioned securities at the time of publication. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

Honda is recalling more than 2.5 million vehicles over potentially faulty fuel pumps.

In documents posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website, Honda said affected models include 2018 through 2020 editions of some of its most popular vehicles, including Accords, Civics and CR-Vs.

The recall also includes several popular models from Honda’s luxury division, Acura — like the MDX and RDX sport-utility vehicles and the TLX and ILX sedans.

The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail, Honda said, leading to stalled engines and increasing the risk of crashes.

As a remedy, dealers will replace the fuel pump module for free. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Feb. 5.

Earlier this week, Honda issued a separate recall for more than 100,000 vehicles over an electrical issue.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Tesla is recalling more than 120,000 vehicles over doors that fail to comply with U.S. government regulations.

In a letter posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website Thursday, Tesla acknowledged the affected doors can be unlocked during a crash, which could cause the door to unlatch and open, increasing the risk of injury.

Affected vehicles include Tesla Models S and X manufactured for model years 2021 through 2023. Tesla said it was not aware of any injuries as a result of the issue as of Dec. 14.

As a remedy, Tesla is releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be sent out Feb. 17.

Last week, Tesla announced a recall for nearly all its U.S. vehicles — some 2 million — due to concerns about the safety of its autopilot driver-assistance feature. A federal investigation found that its autosteer function may have led some drivers to abandon responsibility for the operation of their vehicles.

That recall came after one in February affecting more than 360,000 vehicles related to Tesla’s “full self-driving” software.

Tesla did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

In a post last week on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tesla issued a statement accusing some news outlets of misconstruing ‘the nature of our safety systems,’ adding that ‘incontrovertible data’ shows Tesla’s features are ‘saving lives and preventing injury.’ 

Elon Musk owns X and Tesla.

A NHTSA spokesperson told NBC News last week that its investigation into Tesla’s autopilot features “remains open as we monitor the efficacy of Tesla’s remedies and continue to work with the automaker to ensure the highest level of safety.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. has agreed to pay a $1.675 billion penalty for allegedly installing ‘defeat devices’ on approximately 1 million pickup trucks to cheat emissions tests. It’s the largest civil fine ever levied under the Clean Air Act, the Justice Department said Friday.

Defeat devices are designed to ‘bypass, defeat, or render inoperative emissions controls such as emission sensors and onboard computers,’ the department said.

Cummins is accused of installing defeat devices or similar equipment on hundreds of thousands of RAM pickup trucks between 2013 and 2023, the department said.

“The types of devices we allege that Cummins installed in its engines to cheat federal environmental laws have a significant and harmful impact on people’s health and safety,’ Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement, adding that the devices would have produced thousands of tons of excess emissions of nitrogen oxides, which are toxic to humans when breathed in.

Cummins has also agreed to settle with California’s Air Resources Board.

In a statement, Cummins said it did not admit any wrongdoing and that it had no evidence its employees acted in bad faith. A spokesperson for Stellantis, which owns the RAM truck brand, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The civil penalty announced Friday would surpass the $1.45 billion Volkswagen paid in 2017 after the German automaker disclosed it had used defeat devices on 11 million vehicles worldwide; Volkswagen ultimately paid more than $20 billion including criminal penalties.

In August 2022, Fiat Chrysler — now known as Stellantis — paid nearly $300 million to resolve a multiyear criminal-fraud probe by the Justice Department over diesel-emissions.

Cummins, based in Indiana, had 73,600 employees at the outset of 2023. Its share price declined about 3% in Friday trading.

The Cummins settlement, which must be approved by a court, represents the latest salvo in U.S. regulators’ campaign against emission defeat devices.

From fiscal years 2020 to 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized 172 civil enforcement cases related to the devices, resulting in civil penalties totaling $55.5 million; and 17 criminal cases resulting in another $7.2 million penalties and a total of 54 months of incarceration. 

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

The dog that won a dance contest at the Lakers-Knicks game Monday night in Los Angeles provided more than a surreal moment that went viral.

It was a branding opportunity.

The Goldendoodle named Brodie sat courtside at Crypto.com Arena in an appearance designed to raise the dog’s profile and the value of the already lucrative pet influencer.

Brodie made about $1.5 million this year from brand partnerships with companies like Celsius and Viacom and social media platform revenue, according to his owner, Cliff Brush Jr., who prefers to be known as Brodie’s dad. That’s more than the NBA minimum salary of $1.1 million for the 2023-24 season, according to Statista.

“Whatever he wants, he gets,’’ Brush said of the 4-year-old service dog.

While Brodie is the breadwinner, Brush plays an vital role: He creates the content, often amusing videos, for the dog’s social media accounts that have attracted about 15 million followers.

The Lakers game was his latest trip to a professional sports event.

Brush and his dog, who live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, have covered the bases, so to speak. At a Florida Marlins game last season, Brush threw out the first pitch and Brodie fetched it. They made their NBA debut at a Miami Heat game last season and are scheduled to make their first NHL appearance at a Florida Panthers game Saturday.

At the Lakers’ game, Brodie sat next to actors and married couple Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgewick. Images of the 80-pound dog sitting on Brush’s lap and under his seat spread across the Internet.

“We did a lot of things that went viral,’’ Brush said of previous appearances, “but this seems to be on that next level.’’

How did Brodie become a celebrity?

Life for Brush, 33, and Brodie came to a crossroads in 2021.

At the time, Brush was working as a budget analyst for the city of Boca Raton. He said his boss noticed he was spending more and more time creating content for Brodie’s social media platforms and less and less time on his full-time job.

“She brought me into her office and asked me if this is what I wanted to do,” Brush said. “Sort of politely gave me an ultimatum. And I was not happy with the 9-for-5 life.’’

So, Brush said, he quit his job, gave up a corporate career that had paid him between $65,000 and $75,00 a year and became a full-time content creator for Brodie.

 “It was the best decision of my life,’’ he said.

The number of Brodie’s followers swelled as Brush rolled out video clips, including those showing Brush and Brodie together jet skiing, bicycling, swimming, driving in exotic vehicles, frolicking in the snow, fishing and mingling with sports figures.

‘He’s my best friend, no question,” Brush said.

But not everyone is a fan. On Brodie’s Instagram account, ghutybuick wrote, ‘Dude using his dog to promote himself & make money off him through social media. You need major help little guy.”

No matter. About a year and a half ago, Brush hired Brodie’s manager, AJ Nubla, who helped facilitate Brodie’s appearance at the Lakers game.

How does Brodie make money?

The Lakers game helped demonstrate how the business works for Brodie and Brush.

Bibigo, a South Korean food company that is the Los Angeles Lakers’ jersey patch sponsor, provided the courtside tickets for Brush and Brodie’s manager.

In exchange for the tickets, Bibigo will get a branded post featuring Brodie and the company. The dog has done similar deals with companies such as Subaru.

“We work together with the brand to put together a video that blends what they’re asking for in the content creator’s typical organic content,’’ said Nubla, Brodie’s manager.

The courtside tickets to the Lakers game provided more than an opportunity to watch Lakers superstar LeBron James and the other players. During the game, Brush and Nubla videotaped the dog — including when Brodie won a dance battle against humans. (He danced with Brush’s assistance and stirred the crowd into a frenzy.)

Brush went live on Instagram and later posted video clips on Brodie’s social media accounts, which Brush said generated $400,000 in social media platform revenue last year in addition to about $1.1 million in brand partnerships.

Brodie also appears at charitable events, including a recent one at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.

Why is Brodie a service dog?

In his mid-20s, Brush said, he was diagnosed with lichen planus, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation resulting in a rash that can affect the skin, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Brush said he had a severe version.

‘And we kind of narrowed it down to it being stress related,’’ he said.

Later, he said, he bought a Golden Retriever from a champion line, named her Luna and put her in service dog training. But she was not an ideal candidate.

“She’s nothing like Brodie,’’ Brush said. ‘She’s uncooperative, doesn’t like to film content.’

In 2020, Luna gave birth to a litter that included Brodie.

“I delivered him,’’ Brush said. “So I’ve known him since Day One and I think that’s helped with the special bond we have.’’

Brodie began working as a service animal in 2021. Since them, Brush said, he has experienced no flareups from lichen planus.

Almost always they are together, with the exception of Brush’s trips to the gym and first dates. On Wednesday, they flew from Los Angeles to Toronto for a vacation. They’ll be staying at a Hilton, another one of their brand partners.

“So this is Brodie’s first international stint,’’ Brush said. “I’m curious to know what the love for him is out here.’’

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Monarchs are in Oahu for the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, which takes place this weekend. Jones, 63, was admitted to a hospital in Honolulu following the heart attack.

‘He is resting comfortably and expecting a full recovery,’ Old Dominion said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports, adding Jones will be held at the hospital for observation for the next 48 to 72 hours and will not be available for the Diamond Head Classic.

In the meantime, assistant coach Kieran Donohue will serve as the team’s head coach for the entire tournament.

The Monarchs played TCU in their first matchup of the weekend on Thursday, falling to the Horned Frogs 111-87. Old Dominion will face Temple on Friday. The final game of the tournament will be played on Sunday.

Jones is in his 11th season as head coach for Old Dominion, taking the Monarchs to the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Old Dominion entered the Hawaii tournament with a 3-6 record.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

It wasn’t quite last week’s Thursday night blowout, but the Los Angeles Rams (8-7) staved off a comeback to handily beat the New Orleans Saints (7-8), 30-22, at SoFi Stadium. The game gives the Rams their first winning record of the season as they continue to vie for a playoff spot.

The wide receiving corps carried Los Angeles as rookie sensation Puka Nacua had nine catches for a career-high 164 yards. Demarcus Robinson nabbed six receptions for 82 yards. They each had a touchdown.

Running back Kyren Williams added 22 carries for 104 yards and a score where he gave the ball to his mom. He’s had six straight games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage. The Los Angeles offense outperformed New Orleans 458 yards to 339 in front of the city’s new star, Shohei Ohtani, who signed a record $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last week.

The Saints almost led a comeback in the fourth quarter after being down 23 points. Derek Carr found Juwan Johnson for a score and then threw a 35-yard touchdown to A.T. Perry after New Orleans blocked a punt. But they couldn’t rally enough to capture the win. — Victoria Hernandez

Winners and losers from Rams’ win over Saints

WINNERS

Rams QB Matthew Stafford: The Rams quarterback has been playing at an elite level since his recovery from a thumb injury that hampered him in the early parts of the season and caused him to miss the Week 9 game against the Green Bay Packers. This was Stafford’s fourth straight game without an interception and he was 24-for-34 with 328 yards and two touchdowns against the Saints with two touchdowns. He needed to target only four receivers to do it. And the Rams are now 5-1 — the lone loss in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens — over their past six, primed for the postseason, thanks in large part to their quarterback.

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

Rams WR Puka Nacua: Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will prevent him from winning offensive rookie of the year, but Nacua’s breakout campaign continued on the national stage. He had a game-high 164 receiving yards on nine catches and one touchdown, and his sliding catch on the first play of the second half was the highlight of the game.

“It’s one of the more impressive rookie campaigns I’ve ever seen,” Stafford said on the Amazon Prime Video ‘TNF’ postgame show.

Saints WR Chris Olave: Despite his drop on a key third down in the first half, the second-year wide receiver hauled in nine of his 13 targets for 123 yards to lead his team in all of those categories.

Shohei Ohtani: The newest (officially, at least) member of the Los Angeles Dodgers received a custom Rams No. 17 jersey pregame and one of the loudest ovations of the night when he was shown on the SoFi Stadium screens in the second quarter. And he will soon have a country-mate joining him in Dodger Blue. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the heralded right-hander from Japan, has agreed to a deal with the Dodgers.

The other NFC South pretenders: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) are now in the driver’s seat and the Atlanta Falcons are still alive even coming off their embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Bucs-Saints next week will be huge.

LOSERS

Derek Carr: Three passing touchdowns, a 67.5 completion percentage (27-for-40) and 319 passing yards looks great on the stat sheet. But two of the touchdowns came with the Saints down by more than two possessions, and his one interception — in the third quarter to Jordan Fuller — was a terrible throw.

For someone being paid $40 million a year, the 10-year veteran has to be better with the football and can’t be taking sacks that take his team out of field-goal range, as he did on the first drive of the game. Carr has a no-trade clause with a guarantee for 2024, so all signs point to the Saints running it back with him.

Dennis Allen: Punt from the opponent’s 37-yard line on the first drive of the game. Go for it in a similar spot near the end of the first half, watch Carr take another sack, and then give the Rams great field position so they can build their lead on the drive before and after halftime. Try to figure that one out. His career record is now 22-46.

Cooper Kupp: He finished with six catches for 52 yards, but he and Stafford were never on the same page. Six of the times he was targeted went for incompletions.

Saints’ playoff hopes: The path to the postseason is now (almost) exclusively through the NFC South. According to NextGenStats, the Saints have a 24% chance of making the postseason following the loss. A victory would have put their odds at 71%.

The rest of the NFC (except the South): Does anybody want to play the Rams down the stretch? They aren’t the best at closing games, but have the makings of a team that will be a tough out in January. And the contending wild-card teams took another hit as the Rams’ march to the playoffs took another step in the right direction, as they currently hold the No. 6 seed in the conference. — Chris Bumbaca

Rams-Saints highlights

Matthew Stafford passed for 328 yards and two touchdowns, rookie Puka Nacua had nine catches for a career-high 164 yards and a score, and the Rams surged forward in the NFC playoff race with a 30-22 victory over the Saints.

Rams 30, Saints 22: New Orleans makes it interesting late

The Saints have showed more life in the last two possessions than they did the entire game previously.

They first embarked on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that took 6:11 off the clock to make it a 30-14 game with 6:33 to go in the game. New Orleans received the ball back two minutes later in prime field position thanks to a blocked punt by J.T. Gray.

Two plays later, Derek Carr hit rookie wide receiver A.T. Perry for a 35-yard touchdown that made it a 10-point game; Carr then found Chris Olave in the back left corner of the end zone on the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 30-22 with 3:53 remaining.

It was reminiscent of the Rams’ victory a week ago when they could not put away the Washington Commanders in the fourth quarter but managed to hang on for the win. — Chris Bumbaca

Rams 30, Saints 7: Lucas Havrisik extends LA’s lead

The Rams have scored on four straight possessions to extend their advantage to 30-7 in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles went on a nine-play, 56-yard drive that ended with a 32-yard field goal by Lucas Havrisik.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua tallied two catches during the series, including a 29-yard reception to put the Rams in scoring position. The rookie wideout has eight catches, 148 yards and a touchdown in the game.

Havrisik has converted three of four field goals tonight. — Tyler Dragon

Rams seemingly cruising to victory after three quarters

Aside from one play in the second quarter, this game has been all Rams. And that includes the third quarter.

Rams rookie receiver Puka Nacua ended the frame with 119 receiving yards on seven catches and could have had another touchdown if Matthew Stafford threw a more accurate pass on the first possession of the quarter. The Rams settled for three points to end that drive before turning a Derek Carr interception into seven points via a Kyren Williams 10-yard run.

The lowlight for the Saints, however, came on a fourth-and-seven attempt with less than three minutes in the quarter remaining from the Rams’ 34-yard line. Dennis Allen left his offense on the field and Carr threw short of the sticks for another turnover on downs. — Chris Bumbaca

Rams 27, Saints 7: Kyren Williams scores, tosses ball to mother

The Rams scored again with a 10-yard touchdown from Kyren Williams. On second-and-three, Matthew Stafford handed the ball off to the running back, who powered through the line of scrimmage and jetted into the end zone. Williams then tossed the ball in the stands to his mom.

Williams had 17 rushing yards on the two plays before the touchdown.

The score comes after Jordan Fuller picked off Derek Carr. Los Angeles now has 17 points off the pick and two turnovers on downs. — Victoria Hernandez

Jordan Fuller picks off Derek Carr

Jordan Fuller didn’t have to work very hard for that interception.

On third-and-6 near midfield, Carr was locked onto tight end Juwan Johnson, who was running a route across the middle of the field. Carr didn’t see a lurking Fuller, and all the safety had to do was wait for the ball to hit his hands, reel in the pass, and get going the opposite direction.

The Rams took over at the New Orleans 41-yard line and scored five plays later on a 10-yard touchdown rush by Kyren Williams, who promptly celebrated by handing the ball to his mother in the stands.  — Chris Bumbaca

Rams 20, Saints 7: Rams pad lead after short field goal

Matthew Stafford and the Rams went on a 10-play, 72-yard drive that ended in a field goal to extend their lead to 20-7 with 11:10 remaining in the third quarter.

Kicker Lucas Havrisik converted a short 22-yard field goal to cap off the team’s first drive of the second half. Havrisik’s made two of three of his field goals Thursday night.

The Rams have scored on their last two possessions. — Tyler Dragon

Rams in control after first half

The Rams are in control of their Thursday night game against the Saints heading into the locker room up 17-7.

The Rams are outpacing the Saints 244 yards of offense to 164 with Shohei Ohtani and Drew Brees in attendance.

At the half, Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson already has six catches for 82 yards and one of Matthew Stafford’s two touchdowns.

Derek Carr connected with Rashid Shaheed for a 45-yard touchdown where the wideout stormed downfield for the score. The Saints also had two turnovers on downs, which turned into 10 points for the Rams. — Victoria Hernandez

Rams 17, Saints 7: Demarcus Robinson scores late in first half

The Rams padded their lead heading into the half with a 4-yard touchdown from Matthew Stafford to Demarcus Robinson. From the shotgun snap, Stafford found Robinson, who outran cornerback Isaac Yiadom in the middle of the end zone

The wide receiver made a statement on the first play of the drive by nabbing a 32-yard catch from Stafford where the quarterback scrambled out of the pocket and threw on the run. Tyler Higbee and Puka Nacua also had receptions to move the ball down the field. — Victoria Hernandez

Rams 10, Saints 7: Derek Carr connects with Rasheed Shaheed for long TD

Rashid Shaeed: rhymes with speed. And he showed it on his 45-yard touchdown catch that injected the Saints with life for their first score of the night and made it 10-7 with 2:28 to go in the first half.

Derek Carr, who faked a handoff, hit Shaheed with a beautiful lofting throw on a middle post pattern in which the speedy receiver got behind the Rams’ secondary and beat defensive back Akhello Witherspoon on his route. It was the third play following Lucas Havrisik’s missed 47-yard field goal for the Rams.

For Shaheed, it was his first touchdown grab since Oct. 29 against the Indianapolis Colts. The play’s length was equal to the amount of receiving yards he had in his last two games (45). — Chris Bumbaca

Rams kicker Lucas Havrisik misses field goal attempt

Field goals have been an issue for the Rams this season. The issue flared up in the second quarter when Lucas Havrisik missed a 47-yard field goal wide left with 3:53 remaining in the first half.

The Rams replaced kicker Brett Maher with Havrisik earlier this season.

The Rams have made just 74% of their field goals coming into Week 16. — Tyler Dragon

Rams 10, Saints 0: Lucas Havrisik field goal extends Rams’ lead

The Rams wasted little time taking advantage of great field position and building upon their lead.

On the first play of the drive, Matthew Stafford found Puka Nacua for a 28-yard gain. The Rams advanced the ball to the New Orleans two-yard line but Sean McVay opted to send the field-goal unit out on fourth-and-goal this time. Lucas Havrisik made the 20-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 game with 10:23 left in the second quarter. — Chris Bumbaca

Saints turn ball over on downs

The Saints’ decision to go for it on fourth down backfired.

On fourth-and-5, Saints quarterback Derek Carr was sacked in the pocket by Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner for a 9-yard loss. The Rams took over possession of the football on their own 48-yard line as a result of the sack.

Carr has been sacked twice in two possessions. — Tyler Dragon

Rams lead Saints after first quarter

The first quarter featured only one complete drive by each team on Thursday night.

The Saints started with the ball and Derek Carr threw passes of 11 and 16 yards, but a sack by 

Ernest Jones IV forced them to punt.

The Rams scored the first, and only, points of the game so far with a 2-yard pass from Matthew Stafford to rookie sensation Puka Nacua. The drive ate up nearly eight minutes of clock.

Los Angeles is up 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. — Victoria Hernandez

Rams 7, Saints 0: Puka Nacua scores on fourth-and-goal play

The Rams’ 14-play drive end in seven points.

Rams coach Sean McVay elected to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line. Matthew Stafford retrieved the football in shotgun formation and threw a short pass to rookie Puka Nacua for a touchdown.

The touchdown concluded a first drive that was over eight minutes for the Rams.

Nacua had two receptions in the Rams first possession. The touchdown was Nacua’s fifth of the season. — Tyler Dragon

What time does Saints vs. Rams begin?

How can I watch Saints vs. Rams?

Saints at Rams will be streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video and will be broadcast in local markets only.

Saints vs. Rams: Picks, predictions and odds

The Rams are favorites to defeat the Saints, according to BetMGM NFL odds. 

Spread: Rams (-12) Moneyline: Rams (-210); Saints (+170) Over/under: 45.5Lorenzo Reyes: Rams 24, Saints 18 — In what’s a crucial game for the NFC wild-card picture, the Saints are weak against the run, ranking 24th in the league in rushing defense. Rams running back Kyren Williams has been ultra-productive over the last month and L.A. wins when he does well. The recipe here is clear.Tyler Dragon: Rams 23, Saints 20 — This primetime game has playoff implications. Both these 7-7 teams are fighting for wild-card spots in the NFC. Derek Carr is coming off a three-touchdown game, but he’s struggled with consistency in a New Orleans uniform. Rams WR Puka Nacua (1,163) needs 311 more receiving yards to set the NFL’s single-season receiving yards record by a rookie. Cooper Kupp, Nacua and the Rams offense should be able to outscore the Saints in what is an important game for both clubs.Safid Deen: Rams 24, Saints 18 — It’s a shame the Rams are just 7-7, but their major players – Matt Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua – are finally healthy. The Rams will make the playoffs if they can stay that way and should beat the Saints at home on Thursday night.Victoria Hernandez: Rams 24, Saints 19 — The Saints were impressive last week with a three-touchdown performance from Derek Carr. But the Rams, boosted by back-to-back 100-yard games from Cooper Kupp, are playing strong as they clamor for a playoff spot and should notch this home win.Jordan Mendoza: Rams 20, Saints 17 — This is going to be one of the better matchups of the week, as the Saints’ defense has made life tough for offenses while the Rams’ offense has been clicking in recent weeks. It won’t be as big of a performance, but Los Angeles has too many weapons at its disposal to be limited, as the Rams win another win and keep their playoff spot.

Shohei Ohtani at SoFi Stadium for Rams-Saints game

The baseball superstar, who is now a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was in attendance at SoFi Stadium for the Rams-Saints game.

Ohtani was on the field before kickoff and the Rams gifted him a custom jersey with the No. 17, the two-way star’s number. Not Baker Mayfield’s. — Victoria Hernandez

Good company for Kyren Williams

The only player in the NFL who averages more scrimmage yards per game than Rams second-year running back Kyren Williams? MVP contender and Niners running back Christian McCaffrey (128.6 yards per game)

Williams has had five straight games with more than 100 yards from scrimmage and is up to 114.5 in 10 games this year. He suffered an ankle injury in a Week 6 game against the Arizona Cardinals and missed the Rams’ next four. Williams has averaged 5.6 yards per carry since his return. — Chris Bumbaca

Detroit dreamin’ 

The Detroit Lions still control their own destiny in securing a postseason berth and can even wrap up the NFC North title with a victory Sunday over the Minnesota Vikings. 

But the Lions can secure their spot in the playoffs depending on the outcome of this game, as a Rams loss would secure Detroit’s spot in the NFC’s field of seven. — Chris Bumbaca

Saints vs. Rams inactives: Chris Olave in, Ryan Ramczyk out for New Orleans

Wide receiver Chris Olave (ankle) is active after missing the Saints’ Week 15 win over the Giants. Olave — who is 82 yards away from posting a second consecutive 1,00-yard receiving season — was updated to full practice participant on Wednesday after missing Monday’s practice and being limited on Tuesday. However, the Saints will be without offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk (knee). The 2019 All-Pro will miss a second straight game and third game this season.

Saints’ inactive players:

CB Cameron Dantzler Sr.QB Jake HaenerDE Isaiah FoskeyRB Kendre MillerOT Ryan RamczykLB Monty Rice

Rams’ inactive players:

DB Tre TomlinsonRB Zach EvansLB Ochaun MathisOL Warren McClendon Jr.DE Desjuan Johnson

NFL playoff picture: Saints, Rams in thick of NFC postseason race

The ‘Thursday Night Football’ matchup between the Saints and Rams has massive ramifications for the wild-card portion of the NFC playoff field … and possibly the NFC South. — Nate Davis

Saints vs. Rams history lesson: Two famous playoff encounters

The Saints and Rams head-to-head series dates back to New Orleans’ expansion season of 1967. The Saints’ inaugural game came against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 17, 1967. The Rams went on to win that game, but the Saints’ John Gilliam ran the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to punctuate the milestone day for New Orleans.

In total, the two teams have met 78 times (including playoffs), with the Rams holding a 43-35 series edge.

The two teams were part of the old NFC West division from 1970 through 2001, facing off twice a season.

The Saints and Rams also have met twice in the playoffs, and both games were memorably encounters.

Of course, the most famous of which was the 2018 NFC championship game. The Rams rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to win the game, 26-23, and advance to Super Bowl 53. However, we’re burying the lead here. The game was marred by a controversial no-call on Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, who appeared to commit pass interference on Tommylee Lewis late in the fourth quarter. The NFL later admitted there was an officiating error on play.

During the 2000 NFL playoffs, the Saints — who had never won a postseason game to that point — hosted the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ Rams for what was a thrilling wild-card game at the Superdome. The Saints stormed out to a 31-7 fourth-quarter lead, but the high-octane Rams rallied to within three points. The then-St. Louis Rams could not complete the comeback as the Saints won their first-ever playoff game. — Jim Reineking

NFL Week 16 picks, predictions and odds

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh SteelersBuffalo Bills at Los Angeles ChargersIndianapolis Colts at Atlanta FalconsGreen Bay Packers at Carolina PanthersCleveland Browns at Houston TexansDetroit Lions at Minnesota VikingsWashington Commanders at New York JetsSeattle Seahawks at Tennessee TitansJacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay BuccaneersArizona Cardinals at Chicago BearsDallas Cowboys at Miami DolphinsNew England Patriots at Denver BroncosLas Vegas Raiders at Kansas City ChiefsNew York Giants at Philadelphia EaglesBaltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers

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