Breaking
Wealth World News
Archive

2024

Browsing
Sports

Golden State builds for WNBA debut. See Valkyries’ expansion draft picks

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s newest team, began assembling their roster with the expansion draft on Friday.

The Valkyries, the league’s 13th franchise, will begin play in the 2025 season, which tips off in May. The first step, however, began with the expansion draft.

After the other 12 teams submitted a list of players that were protected or cored – and therefore could not be picked – Golden State combed through the full list of available players and selected 11 new additions. The Valkyries could not draft more than one player from any given team but were allowed to pick one unrestricted free agent from among the list.

While none of the WNBA’s biggest stars were taken, some notable players – former starters or major impact role players – found themselves changing teams.

See all the players selected by the Golden State Valkyries as the team builds towards its 2025 debut:

See who the Golden State Valkyries picked in the WNBA expansion draft

Players are listed in the order in which they were announced (which was alphabetical by team), with height, position and former team.

No selection

The Valkyries opted not to draft a player from the Seattle Storm.

Pick No. 11: Julie Vanloo

5-8 guard, Washington Mystics

Pick No. 10: Monique Billings

6-4 forward, Phoenix Mercury

Pick No. 9: Kayla Thornton

6-1 forward, New York Liberty

Pick No. 8: Cecilia Zandalasini

6-2 forward, Minnesota Lynx

Pick No. 7: Stephanie Talbot

6-2 forward, Los Angeles Sparks

Pick No. 6: Kate Martin

6-0 guard, Las Vegas Aces

‘I’m really excited for this new beginning and to build something from the ground up with the Valkyries,’ said Martin, the former Iowa Hawkeyes star, who player for the Las Vegas Aces in 2024 during her rookie WNBA season.

‘My focus has just been getting better all around. I had a decent rookie season, but I just know something that is really cool about me is that my ceiling is really high. I have a lot of room to grow.’

Pick No. 5: Temi Fagbenle

6-4 center, Indiana Fever

Pick No. 4: Carla Leite

5-9 guard, Dallas Wings

Pick No. 3: Veronica Burton

5-9 guard, Connecticut Sun

Pick No. 2: Maria Conde

6-1 forward, Chicago Sky

Pick No. 1: Iliana Rupert

6-4 center/forward, Atlanta Dream

Valkyries roster takes shape with expansion draft

The Golden State Valkyries selected four players in the expansion draft who have won a WNBA championship during their careers: Temi Fagbenle and Cecilia Zandalasini with the Minnesota Lynx in 2017, Iliana Rupert with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022, and Kayla Thornton, who just won a championship with with the New York Liberty in 2024.

‘We are excited to have officially started the journey of building the Golden State Valkyries 2025 team,” said General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin. “Our goal was to construct a roster that embodies both versatility and depth, bringing in a strong mix of leadership, defense, and scoring ability. These players were carefully chosen not only for their skills on the court, but also for their ability to fit into the culture we’re working to build here at Golden State.”

How does the WNBA expansion draft work?

Leading up to Friday’s expansion draft, each of the 12 current WNBA teams submitted a roster list to the league in late November that highlighted every player the team has rights to. Each team can designate up to six protected players on their roster, making them ineligible for selection by Golden State. Any player under a core designation — comparable to the NFL’s franchise tag — is also ineligible for selection. Every other player is fair game for the Valkyries to select in the expansion draft.

The Valkyries can select one available player from each of the 12 teams, regardless of position. (Golden State can also choose not to select a player from a team, if desired.) The field of available players will include unrestricted free agents, but the Valkyries can only pick up one unrestricted free agent across the entire league.

Can the Golden State Valkyries trade players?

Yes. Golden State is allowed to engage in trade talks, beginning Nov. 25, the deadline for teams to submit their roster lists, until Dec. 5, the day before the expansion draft.

According to the WNBA, ‘Golden State will be permitted to make trades with existing teams, including (i) an agreement to select a particular player from the list of Available Expansion Draft players, and trade that player to a team other than their existing team; and (ii) an agreement to select (or not select) a particular player from such trading team’s list of Available Expansion Draft players.’

The Valkyries can also trade a selected player for cap space.

Valkyries unveil inaugural jerseys, get nod from Draymond Green

The Golden State Valkyries are one step closer to tipping off their first-ever WNBA season, and now we know what they’ll be wearing. 

Golden State offered fans a first look at its inaugural jersey, which embodies the “fierce, bold and strong” mantra of the WNBA’s newest franchise. The jersey, which comes in a white and black colorway for home and away games, features the team’s logo front and center in Valkyrie Violet. 

The Valkyries’ logo is a nod to their Bay Area roots. It features the Bay Bridge uniquely shaped like wings with 13 suspension cables to represent becoming the 13th WNBA franchise. 

The white jersey is called the WNBA Nike Heroine Edition, while the black jersey is called the WNBA Nike Explorer Edition.

Warriors star Draymond Green was spotted wearing the Valkyries’ Nike Explorer Edition jersey on the sideline Thursday during Golden State’s 99-93 win over the Houston Rockets.

Will the Golden State Valkyries draft players?

Golden State also will have an opportunity to add to its team through free agency, scheduled to begin in February, as well as the 2025 WNBA draft, which is set for April. The Valkyries have the fifth overall pick of the 2025 WNBA draft, in addition to the 17th and 30th pick in the second and third round, respectively.

When was the last WNBA expansion draft?

The WNBA last held an expansion draft in 2008 for the Atlanta Dream, which until the Golden State Valkyries, had been the league’s most recent addition. Two years prior, in 2006, the WNBA held an expansion draft for the Chicago Sky.

When is Golden State Valkyries WNBA expansion draft?

The WNBA expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries will take place Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

How to watch Golden State Valkyries WNBA expansion draft

The WNBA expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries will be broadcast on ESPN.

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.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Politics

The Speaker’s Lobby: Thermonuclear Fracas

The 13 members of the House’s bipartisan panel investigating the assassination attempt of President-elect Trump huddled around a microphone in the Rayburn House Office Building early Thursday afternoon. The task force had just concluded its hearing exploring what went wrong and how to fix problems at the Secret Service. 

‘We tried to set the tone that this was going to be a serious and bipartisan effort,’ said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., the top Democrat on the task force. ‘And that’s exactly what you see here. And that’s exactly how it played out.’

‘We never identified as Republicans or Democrats. We have identified as task force members,’ declared Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Penn., who chaired the effort.

The committee forged common ground about how the Secret Service had failed its mission in Butler, Penn., when gunman Thomas Crooks nearly killed Mr. Trump. They are pleased with some reforms at the Secret Service, such as increased use of drones, automated robot ‘dogs’ on the property of the incoming President’s golf club in Florida and enhanced communication with local law enforcement.

Bipartisan lawmakers also expressed frustration that they never got to examine the body of Crooks. They still haven’t determined a motive. Nor have they established whether Crooks worked alone or had help.

‘The Department of Justice to this point has not provided this task force with information about the digital devices,’ lamented Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., who served on the committee.

‘And that’s still a black hole to this day?’ asked yours truly.

‘Correct,’ replied Lee.

Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe was the lone witness at the hearing.

He declared ‘there will be accountability and that accountability is occurring.’ Yet he didn’t cite specific examples of discipline.

‘It is essential that we recognize the gravity of our failure. I personally carry the weight of knowing that we almost lost a protectee,’ added Rowe at the hearing. ‘I have reflected extensively on the agency’s substandard performance during the advance for the Butler rally.’

That’s all well and good. But no one will remember any of that. And in fact, no one will remember that the committee embodied one of the best examples of significant bipartisanship in Congress in years.

That’s because of a thermonuclear fracas which erupted between Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Tex., and Rowe.

I have covered Congress for decades. I’ve seen former Rep. Bob Walker, R-Penn., slam the gavel down so angrily that the head broke off and spiraled into the well of the chamber. I’ve seen a near fist-fight between lawmakers early in the morning of January 7, 2021, hours after the Capitol riot. Just last year, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., challenged Teamsters President Sean O’Brien to a fight during a hearing. Never mind that Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., chased former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., through the halls on the same day. Burchett said McCarthy elbowed him in the kidneys.

But I have never observed a verbal brawl between a lawmaker and a witness like the Fallon-Rowe tilt.

Both men utterly exploded in anger, barking at each other and jabbing their index fingers.

Various accounts said the two ‘sparred.’ If this was sparring, then Ali versus Frazier was afternoon tea at the Willard.

‘You are out of line!’ thundered Rowe. ‘You are out of line, Congressman!’

‘Don’t try to bully me!’ fumed Fallon. ‘Don’t try to bully me!’

‘Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes!’ yelled Rowe. ‘I was there out of respect!’

‘Oh, that’s a bunch of horse hockey!’ retorted Fallon. ‘You endangered President Biden’s life! Vice President Harris’s life, because you put those agents out of position!’

Anything of substance about improvements by the Secret Service or after-action reviews fell by the wayside. This was now the main event. And no one would recall much else.

Here’s some context on what lit the fuse to his melee:

From the dais, Fallon held up a picture of President Biden, Vice President Harris, President-elect Trump along with President-elect and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, standing at Ground Zero on 9/11 of this year. Fallon notes that Rowe is in the picture, near the principals. One photo displayed by Fallon even circled Rowe in red.

Fallon asked Rowe whether he was the ‘Special Agent in Charge’ or ‘SAC’ that day. That’s where things spiraled out of control.

‘Actually, Congressman, what you’re not seeing is the SAC of the detail out of the picture’s view,’ said Rowe.

His voice then grew gravelly with just a splice of disdain.

‘That is the day where we remember the more than 3,000 people that have died on 9/11,’ said Rowe, his verbal timbre rising. ‘I actually responded to Ground Zero. I was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center. I was there at Fresh Kills (Landfall in New York).’

That’s when Fallon sneered at Rowe.

‘I’m not asking you that! I’m asking you if you were the Special Agent in Charge!’ hollered Fallon.

‘I was there to show respect!’ countered Rowe. 

‘You were not!’ shot back Fallon.

Fallon asserted that Rowe was not serving as a true protective agent that day. He suggested that Rowe essentially shoved other agents out of the way for political purposes – endangering the lives of protectees.

‘You know why you were there? Because you wanted to be visible, because you were auditioning for this job that you’re not going to get!’ said Fallon.

He suggested that Rowe wanted the ‘acting’ removed from his title.

‘Did you have a radio with you? Did you wear a vest? Did you wear a weapon? No,’ said Fallon.

‘I did, sir!’ growled Rowe.

Before the hearing, I asked Rowe whether he wanted to become the permanent Secret Service Director. He didn’t respond.

Fallon alleged that Rowe’s positioning asserts that the lives of President Biden and Vice President Harris were endangered. He implied that lessons have not been learned after the Butler, PA, assassination attempt.

After the hearing, Fallon claimed that Rowe’s positioning at the event was a ‘vanity project.’

I asked Fallon whether the verbal contretemps would ‘distract from the bipartisanship.’

‘That wasn’t the intent,’ Fallon replied.

Fallon pinned the blame on Rowe, saying ‘he started screaming.’

Rowe left the Capitol complex before reporters could ask for his take on the mayhem.

I asked Fallon if there was anything else he should expect after the clash.

‘If there’s a bag of heroin in my car, or I get a rope around my neck and get un-alive, you’ll know why,’ said Fallon.

The Trump assassination attempt is already radioactive. And while the committee tried to focus on the failures and what had gone wrong, all that most people will remember is one of the most volatile quarrels in the history of Congressional hearings.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

DAVID MARCUS: Triumphant Trump at Notre Dame signals America and the West are back

Just over five years ago, the world watched in anguish as Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the most potent symbols of Christendom, was engulfed in flames. Not long after, Donald Trump would lose the 2020 election to Joe Biden, launching one of the most unpopular presidencies in modern history.

But, this weekend on the banks of the Seine, this glorious Medieval edifice and tribute to the Blessed Mother, stands in full repair, ready to guide the faithful for another thousand years.

And who is there to honor the occasion? None other than President-elect Donald Trump.

Though the 45th, and soon to be 47th occupant of the Oval Office won’t be sworn in for another five weeks, for all the world it appears not only that Trump has already taken over, but that the issues he was elected to address already seem to be improving.

After months of sturm und drang over Trump’s tariff policy, the threat of a 25 percent levy on foreign goods has already led to some positive signs of compromise from Mexico on the border, and to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appearing at Mar-a-Lago, if not quite to kiss the ring, at least to beg to avoid the tariffs.

Trump will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris this weekend.

In Ukraine, where Biden’s fecklessness and slow drip of weapons has helped to create a meat grinder of a status quo, President Volodomyr Zelenskyy is, for the first time, talking about a peace deal in which Russia keeps some territory and Ukraine reserves the right to join NATO.

This is light at the end of a dark and deadly tunnel.

In the halls of Congress, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump’s pied pipers of the Department of Government Efficiency, are on a charm offensive, wooing even some Democrats to their cost-cutting cause.

Even the soon-to-be President’s cabinet picks, after predictable freak-outs from the liberal media, are well on track, including Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel, tapped for the Defense Department and FBI respectively, who have thus far survived a tsunami of smears.

As the second Trump presidency zips down the runway preparing for takeoff, somewhere off in a ditch lies the smoldering carcass of Joe Biden’s Hindenburg of a tenure in office.

On Friday, an abjectly humiliated White House Press Secretary Karinne Jean Pierre tried to explain away her and her boss’ blatant lie that he wouldn’t pardon his son Hunter. Apparently, we were told, it wasn’t a lie, he just changed his mind.

Ok, KJP…

Let’s be clear, any press secretary with an ounce of dignity would have resigned after being paraded before the American public to deceive them over and over and over, but there she was, at the podium, being paid by the American people, and still lying.

The Biden administration is reportedly exploring ways that it can use the weeks leading up to Trump’s inauguration to sabotage his incoming administration, including preemptive pardons for potential targets of legitimate investigation and pumping out tons of foreign aid.

These last minute efforts to thwart Trump will come to nothing because, for all intents and purposes, Joe Biden is barely still even the president. This week at the White House tree lighting ceremony he looked like the Crypt Keeper, and his flickering administration has all the energy of a morgue.

It was in French Cathedrals during the late 11th Century that Peter the Hermit and Pope Urban II preached in favor of the First Crusade, uniting the West in a way that had never happened before, securing its permanence against foreign threats.

Saturday, before the soaring spires and flying buttresses, Donald Trump takes a place in that history, in that defense of the values that our ancestors brought from Europe to American shores.

Few people expected that Donald Trump would win the election so convincingly, far fewer predicted that such a victory would lead to optimism and unity, and yet, Trump is enjoying the highest favorability of his political career, and it simply feels like things are looking up.

In just five years, the people of France restored their beloved Notre Dame, not with modern twists, but just as it was, as it has always been. Trump only has four years to make his repairs to the cathedral we call the United States. But one thing is clear. He is off to a solid head start.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Stocks

Week Ahead: Consolidation Likely As NIFTY Tests Crucial Levels; Guard Profits Mindfully

The markets closed with gains for the third week in a row as the key indices posted gains while extending their technical rebound. The Nifty had a trending week; it trended higher most of the week. The volatility was largely absent, but the Indices stayed quite choppy on most days except the last day, where it remained flat. The volatility stayed largely subdued; the India VIX retraced by 1.98% to 14.14 on a weekly note. The trading range stayed wider; the Nifty oscillated in an 849-point range over the past five sessions. The headline index finally closed with a net weekly gain of 546.70 points (+2.27%).

The markets have paused themselves at a crucial juncture. The Nifty has closed above the 50-DMA, which is presently at 24548. It is just a notch below the 100-DMA at 24707. This level also coincides with the 20-week MA placed at 24720 on the weekly timeframe. So, unless the Nifty closes well above 24720, we have to fairly take the zone of 24700-24750 as an immediate important resistance for the markets on a closing basis. For this technical rebound to extend, moving past and staying above 24750 would be necessary for the markets. On the other hand, the Nifty has rebounded off the 50-week MA; this level, placed at 23432, is the most crucial support for the Nifty if it has to keep the current primary trend intact.

Monday is likely to see a quiet start to the week; the levels of 24750 and 24900 are likely to act as resistance levels for the Nifty. The supports come in at 24450 and 24300 levels.

The weekly RSI is at 55.52; it is neutral and does not show any divergence against the price. The weekly MACD stays bearish and below its signal line. The PPO remains negative.

The pattern analysis of the weekly charts shows that the Nifty has completed a painful process of mean reversion. At one point, the Index was trading over 10% above the 50-week MA; the current retracement saw the Nifty testing this level a couple of weeks ago. The 50-week MA test at 23463 offered strong support, and the market rebounded from those levels. Presently, the Index has closed just below the 100-DMA and 20-week MA.

The up move after the Nifty took support at the 50-week MA has seen the Index rallying by over 1200 points. There is a possibility that Nifty may consolidate again for some time before it extends the current move. The banking and financial space is exhibiting strong relative strength. While this may continue, sectors like IT, Auto, Realty, etc., will likely show good momentum over the coming days. However, the Index is near its crucial resistance zone; this makes it necessary to guard profits at current levels. It is important that instead of chasing all up moves, the prudent thing to do would be to mindfully protect gains and stay invested in the stocks showing improvement in their relative strength. A cautious approach is advised for the coming week.

Sector Analysis for the coming week

In our look at Relative Rotation Graphs®, we compared various sectors against CNX500 (NIFTY 500 Index), which represents over 95% of the free float market cap of all the stocks listed.

Relative Rotation Graphs (RRG shows that the Nifty Bank Index has rolled inside the leading quadrant. It is expected to relatively outperform the broader markets along with the IT, Services Sector, and Financial Services Indices that are also present in this quadrant.

The Nifty Midcap 100 index is improving relative momentum while being placed inside the weakening quadrant. The Nifty Pharma Index is also inside the weakened quadrant.

The Nifty FMCG, Auto, Energy, Commodities, and Infrastructure Indices are in the lagging quadrant. The Nifty PSE Index is also in the lagging quadrant; however, it is improving its relative momentum against the broader markets.

The Nifty Media Index has rolled back inside the improving quadrant. Besides this, the Metal, Realty, and PSU Bank Indices are also placed inside the improving quadrant.

Important Note: RRG™ charts show the relative strength and momentum of a group of stocks. In the above Chart, they show relative performance against NIFTY500 Index (Broader Markets) and should not be used directly as buy or sell signals.  

Milan Vaishnav, CMT, MSTA

Consulting Technical Analyst

www.EquityResearch.asia | www.ChartWizard.ae

Keep Reading
By
Sports

Lindsey Vonn starts skiing comeback bid in first race since unretiring

For the first time in six years, Olympic alpine skier Lindsey Vonn is returning to the slopes.

Vonn, 40, is set to compete in her first race since coming out of retirement last month at the FIS Fall Festival at Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado this weekend. Although it marks her first competitive race, Vonn said she’s using the event as a ‘training opportunity to keep on building’ and is not putting too much pressure on herself.

‘Happy to be able to take another step this weekend,’ Vonn wrote in a post shared on Instagram Friday. ‘It’s been 6 years since I last raced so I still have a lot of equipment to test, finding my groove and really getting into racing form. I am having a lot of fun and want to keep on doing so!’

Vonn last raced professionally in February 2019 at the world championships in Sweden, where she won a bronze medal in women’s downhill at age 34 to become the oldest woman to medal at an alpine world championship and the first woman to medal at six different world championships.

Vonn has won 82 World Cup races throughout her illustrious career, which stood as the most for a female skier until her record was broken in January 2023 by fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin.

Here’s everything you need to know about Vonn ahead of her comeback bid:

Who is Lindsay Vonn?

Vonn is an three-time Olympic gold medalist alpine skier, who is best known for speed events like downhill and Super-G.

How old is Lindsey Vonn?

Vonn was born on October 18, 1984 and is currently 40 years old.

Where is Lindsey Vonn from?

Vonn was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Linda Anne and Alan Lee Kildow. She first started skiing at age 3 alongside her father and grandfather, who were both competitive skiers. Her family eventually relocated to Vail, Colorado for better opportunities as Vonn’s star rose.

‘I began racing at seven, and by nine I was doing international events,’ she recalled on her website.

How many Olympic medals does Lindsey Vonn have?

Vonn competed in four Olympic Games and has three Olympic medals – one gold and two bronze. 

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Vonn became the first U.S. woman to win gold in downhill after defeating longtime rival Julia Mancuso by 0.56 seconds despite nursing a shin injury. ‘I gave up everything for this. It means everything to me,’ she said at the time. ‘I dreamed about what this would feel like, but it is much better in real life.’

Vonn also picked up an Olympic bronze medal in the women’s Super-G at the Vancouver Winter Games.

At the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Vonn won bronze in downhill.

‘I’ve always enjoyed racing in Cortina and I’ve had a lot of success in Cortina,’ she said. ‘I don’t know what the next few months and the next year and a half hold for me. So I can’t say right now if it’s a possibility.’

How many world championships does Lindsey Vonn have?

Vonn won four world championships (2008-10, 2012) and set a record with 82 World Cup victories, winning at least one in all five alpine disciplines – downhill, Super-G, giant slalom, combined and slalom. (Her record has since been broken by fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin.) Her 43 World Cup wins in the downhill and 28 in super-G are the most by any skier in history, man or woman.

Why did Lindsey Vonn originally retire?

Vonn retired in 2019 following a string of injuries and crashes throughout her career. Her long list of injuries includes a torn ACL, MCL and broken right leg at the 2013 world championships, another ACL injury that forced her to miss the 2014 Winter Olympics, a fractured ankle in 2015, a fractured knee in 2016, a fractured arm in 2016, another fractured knee and torn ligament in 2018 and a knee replacement surgery in 2024.

 ‘I am struggling with the reality of what my body is telling me versus what my mind and heart believe I’m capable of. The unfortunate reality is my mind and body are not on the same page,’ she wrote in her retirement announcement in February 2019. ‘My body is broken beyond repair and it isn’t letting me have the final season I dreamed of. My body is screaming at me to STOP, and it’s time for me to listen.’

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
Keep Reading
By
Sports

What to know for Baseball Hall of Fame vote: Classic Era ballot

While Ichiro Suzuki is a virtual lock and CC Sabathia an overwhelming favorite to earn enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame next July, it remains to be seen if they’ll have company in the Class of 2025.

The first major step in that process arrives Sunday, when the Hall’s Classic Era Baseball Committee will vote on a group of eight potential inductees.

Candidates must receive support from 12 of 16 committee members to earn induction to Cooperstown. The committee is comprised of a half-dozen Hall of Fame players and managers – Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray, Tony Pérez, Lee Smith, Ozzie Smith and Joe Torre – along with five baseball executives and five historians/media members.

Among the seven players nominated, first baseman Steve Garvey earned the highest vote total during the 15 years players were eligible for the Hall of Fame via the writers’ ballot – earning 42.6% in 1995. Garvey, pitcher Tommy John and slugger Dave Parker are the only candidates among the living. Like the writers’ vote, the eras candidates must be named by at least 75% of electors.

Results of the election will be announced live on MLB Network at 7:30 ET Sunday from Dallas, where the winter meetings begin Monday.

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

A closer look at the eight candidates:

Dick Allen

Career: 1963-1977 with Phillies, White Sox, Dodgers, Cardinals and Oakland Athletics. Corner infielder, left fielder.

Key statistics: 351 career home runs, 1,848 hits, .912 OPS, 156 OPS

Notable accomplishments: 1964 Rookie of the Year, 1972 AL MVP, seven-time All-Star, two-time AL home run champ (1972, 1974), led majors in runs (125, 1964), OBP (.420, 1972), slugging (.563, 1974).

Top finish on BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot: 18.9%, 1996

Outlook: A feared hitter whose metrics would be greatly appreciated today, Allen is under consideration by a veteran’s committee for the seventh time.

Ken Boyer

Career: 1955-1969 with Cardinals, Mets, White Sox, Dodgers. Third baseman/center fielder.

Key statistics: 282 home runs, 2,143 hits, 62.8 WAR

Notable accomplishments: 1964 NL MVP, seven-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glover, 1964 World Series champion.

Top finish on BBWAA ballot: 25.5%, 1988.

Outlook: Boyer was shut out of voting in his last three appearances (2012, 2015, 2022) on a veteran’s committee ballot.

John Donaldson

Career: 1920-1924 with Negro League’s Kansas City Monarchs. 1916-1919 with unclassified Kansas City, Indianapolis, Brooklyn and Detroit Black baseball teams, and more than 30 years overall playing and managing experience.

Key statistics: Career .296 hitter in Negro Leagues.

Notable accomplishments: Helped establish barnstorming business model that galvanized the Negro Leagues – and major leaguers – for decades.

Outlook: Donaldson received 50% support in 2022 committee voting.

Steve Garvey

Career: 1969-1987 with Dodgers, Padres. First baseman.

Key statistics: 272 home runs, 2,599 hits, 1,308 RBI, .329 OBP, .775 OPS

Notable accomplishments: 1974 NL MVP, 10-time All-Star, five 100-RBI seasons, six 200-hit seasons, 1981 World Series champion, four-time NL pennant winner.

Top finish on BBWAA ballot: 42.6%, 1995.

Outlook: This is Garvey’s fifth appearance before a veterans’ committee, the first three resulting in no votes.

Vic Harris

Career: 1922, 1924, 1932-1945 in Negro Leagues. Outfielder. Manager, 1932-1936, 1945-1948.

Key statistics: Career .303 batting average, .370 OBP. 547-278 record as manager.

Notable accomplishments: Six-time All-Star as a player; managed Homestead Grays to 1943 title, a season in which he appeared in seven games. Won six other pennants as manager.

Outlook: Received 10 of 16 votes in 2022 veterans’ committee evaluation, two shy of induction.

Tommy John

Career: 1963-1989 with Cleveland, White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees, Angels, Athletics, Yankees.

Key statistics: 288-231 record, 3.34 ERA, 162 complete games, 46 shutouts, 111 adjusted ERA, 61.6 WAR.

Notable accomplishments: Four-time All-Star. Three-time 20-game winner. Ranks 26th all-time in shutouts and wins and 20th in innings pitched. Career revived after undergoing radical elbow ligament replacement surgery that now bears his name.

Top finish on BBWAA ballot: 31.7%, 2009.

Outlook: Has yet to receive a vote in four appearances before veterans’ committees, although post-surgical accomplishments only grow more significant as prevalence of elbow surgery rises.

Dave Parker

Career: 1973-1991 with Pirates, Reds, Athletics, Brewers, Angels and Blue Jays. Played right field and DH.

Key statistics: 339 home runs, 2,712 hits, 1,493 RBI, .810 OPS, 121 adjusted OPS.

Notable accomplishments: Seven-time All-Star, two-time batting champion, three-time Gold Glover, three-time Silver Slugger, two-time World Series champion (1979, 1989).

Top finish on BBWAA ballot: 24.5%, 1998.

Outlook: Fourth appearance before veterans’ committee, receiving seven of 16 votes in last appearance, in 2020.

Luis Tiant

Career: 1964-1982 with Cleveland, Twins, Red Sox, Yankees, Pirates, Angels.

Key statistics: 229 wins, 3.30 ERA, 114 adjusted ERA, 187 complete games, 66.1 WAR.

Notable accomplishments: Three-time All-Star, two-time ERA champion, four-time 20-game winner.

Top finish on BBWAA ballot: 30.9%, 1989.

Outlook: Tiant has yet to receive a vote in three previous appearances before veterans’ committees.

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
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Randy Moss taking extended leave from ESPN role for health reasons

Pro Football Hall of Famer and ESPN NFL analyst Randy Moss will take a leave of absence from the network because of an undisclosed medical condition, the network announced Friday.

During last week’s ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ show, Moss, 47, said he is ‘battling something internal’ and asked for prayers. He put on glasses during the program.

‘I just ask for all the prayer warriors to put their blessing hands on me and my family through these hard times. People were talking about my eyes last week,’ Moss said. ‘I’m battling something, man, and it’s something internal. Your boy is going to get through it. I got a great team of doctors and got a great family around me.’

Moss’ eyes had appeared yellow, drawing concern and speculation about what might be ailing him.

‘Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss will step away from Sunday NFL Countdown for an extended time to focus on a personal health challenge. He briefly addressed the matter at the start of the show on Dec. 1. For nearly a decade, Randy has been an invaluable member of the team, consistently elevating countdown with his insight and passion,’ ESPN said in a statement. ‘He has ESPN’s full support, and we look forward to welcoming him back when he is ready.’

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

Moss has been on ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ since 2016, and before that played 14 seasons in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers.

Moss was named to the Pro Bowl six times and named a first-team All-Pro four times. He retired with 982 receptions for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

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
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Watch: BKFC fighter scores quickest knockout in promotion history

Justin Watson has made combat sports history.

Since the start of organized and recorded fighting, there haven’t been many 2-second knockouts. But at BKFC 69 in Atlanta, Watson uncorked an immediate overhand right on Cole Ferrell to win the fight officially at 0:02 of Round1.

After Ferrell toppled to the canvas face-first, referee Bryan Miner immediately waved off the fight. An understandably elated Watson celebrated his near-impossible feat.

Unlike many other combat sports, bareknuckle fighting starts with the athletes just out of striking distance. This perhaps allows for some speedy knockouts that wouldn’t be possible in MMA or boxing. Will this record ever be tied? Is it possible that a fighter could ever land a one-second knockout? Only time will tell.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Reporter’s Notebook: Following President Biden on his ‘global finale’ to Africa

LUANDA, Angola — It could have been the symbol of President Biden’s seemingly jinxed trip to Angola.  

Postponed in 2023 due to the wars in the Middle East.   

Postponed again in 2024 due to the catastrophic hurricanes in the south.

And on the only full day of the first-ever trip to Africa for Biden as president, the skies opened up, sending torrential rain down and flooding poorly drained streets.

It almost halted the presidential and press convoy’s one-hour ride out of the capital Luanda for Biden to make a speech at the National Slavery Museum of Angola.

Of course, all this came in a week when other news was pounding down as hard as that rain. First, Biden’s self-inflicted pardoning of son Hunter. A Manhattan murder of a top executive. The collapse of two governments of our most important allies. And the ongoing dramas surrounding Trump’s Cabinet picks.

But as Biden does, he made it, not daring to walk up the slick marble steps to the museum itself, but standing at a podium dramatically located along the Atlantic coast with shafts of sunlight piercing through the dark clouds.

He spoke of the role the colonial masters played in shipping out thousands to a life of servitude, including to the United States. Angola was a major player in the Atlantic slave trade.

‘It’s our duty to face our history,’ Biden noted, ‘the good, the bad and the ugly.

But he also dealt with the real reason for the trip — helping the strategically-located southwestern African country of Angola steady itself to prepare for the future. By 2050, just 25 years from now. Africa will be the most populous continent in the world.

‘In many ways, Africa’s success will be the world’s success. And I said at the U.S.-Africa Summit in 2022, the United States is all in on Africa’s future,’ Biden said.

To deal with the present, Biden made a surprise announcement of $1 billion in U.S. humanitarian aid to help those displaced in Africa by droughts and extreme weather.

Earlier in the day, in a one-on-one meeting with Angolan President João Lourenco, Biden dealt with the future. There was a big focus on the Lobito Corridor, a rail and infrastructure project backed with $4 billion from the U.S. It is aimed at bringing to an Angolan port critical minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia and agricultural products and other industrial goods from Angola.

‘We work together to mobilize more capital,’ Biden declared, ‘to build more infrastructure, to help make these solutions real, to help Africa lead the way.’

Critics scoffed that this was just a ‘too little, too late’ attempt to catch up with China, which for years has been busy with infrastructure and other projects all across Africa.

In an interview with Fox News, White House National Security communications director John Kirby pushed back, saying. ‘It’s about them (the Angolans) catching up and keeping up and be more involved … in terms of bringing product to market.’ 

An anticipated mention of an expanded U.S. military role in Angola did not materialize. The U.S. already sends hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to the country. There’s new talk of a U.S. base there to counter the Russian military’s increasingly active presence on the continent.

But the ‘elephant’ that did lurk at every meeting and gathering was the fact that Biden is now a very lame-duck president and how incoming President-elect Trump, who never made a trip to Africa during his first term in office, who even made derisory comments about certain countries there, would handle it all.

In a recent interview, the Angolan president said he would work with whoever is president.   

And, actually, in an interview with Fox News, former Trump Africa envoy J. Peter Pham told us he thought many of the projects could survive, especially if China feels a sting. 

He added, however, ‘I do think the new administration will ask some very tough questions about our investments on the continent, where they go and whether it’s the best return on capital.’

On the last day of his trip, Biden inspected the Lobito rail hub, where the huge project converges. In a roundtable with other regional leaders, after he noted he was an Amtrak rail fan, he was seen closing his eyes and holding his head in his hands as if he were sleeping, much like he probably dozed on those commuter rides for decades as a senator between Washington and Delaware.

Most in Angola seemed to think, however, the 82-year-old president played his role fairly well in what was called his ‘global finale.’

The test will come when it is seen if any of the benefits from these projects trickle down beyond the super-rich in oil-rich Angola, to the mostly young Angolans who are desperate for a life and living.

‘Just the fact that an American is coming to Angola is a good thing,’ one Luanda resident told us.

Despite bad timing and bad news elsewhere … a lot of people here have hopes.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Stocks

Fintech is Leading and Providing a Good Hunting Ground for Bullish Stock Setups

Chartists looking for stock setups can start with strong industry groups. The Fintech (FINX) is in a strong uptrend and leading, but looking extended short-term. While there is no setup currently, we can learn from past setups and apply these lessons to stocks within the group. 

FINX is both strong and extended. The chart shows FINX advancing 53.6% from November to March. It then moved into a long corrective period as the falling channel formed over the next five months. This correction ended with a breakout in late August and the ETF recorded its first new high in mid September. FINX extended further and led the market over the last four months.

Even though FINX shows no signs of weakness on the price chart, it is becoming quite extended because the 10-day EMA is over 20% above the 200-day EMA. The bottom window shows this difference using the PPO(10,200,0). I use this mostly as trend indicator. It turns bullish with a move above +3% and bearish with a move below -3%. These signal buffers reduce whipsaws and catch big trends.

With FINX looking extended, it is time to exercise some patience and wait for the next opportunity. The blue dashed lines show short-term bullish continuation patterns within the strong uptrend. These represent tradable pullbacks. We can use these examples as a guide in the future, and also look for tradable pullbacks individual fintech stocks.  

The indicator window shows %B, which quantifies the relationship between the close and the 20-day SMA. The pullbacks were quite mild as %B dipped below .50 just twice. This means the close was below the 20-day SMA, which is the middle line on the Bollinger Bands. A decline to the 20-day SMA signals a pullback within the uptrend and this is an opportunity, not a threat.

Extended or not, FINX is still a leader and still in a strong uptrend. This means fintech stocks provide a good hunting ground for bullish setups. Pullbacks and oversold conditions provide opportunities. This report continues at TrendInvestorPro where I feature a fintech stock with one such setup. Click here to see the full report and learn more. This week we featured tradable setups in over a dozen ETFs and stocks. 

Click here to take a trial and get two bonus reports!

//////////////////////////////////////////////

Keep Reading
By