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Rubio warns Chinese cyberattack ‘will be 100 times worse’ than AT&T outage: ‘Your power, your water’

GOP Sen. Marco Rubio warned on social media that the AT&T outage affecting tens of thousands of Americans pales in comparison to what a potential China cyberattack would look like.

‘I don’t know the cause of the AT&T outage,’ the Florida Republican posted on X on Thursday. ‘But I do know it will be 100 times worse when #China launches a cyber attack on America on the eve of a #Taiwan invasion.

‘And it won’t be just cell service they hit, it will be your power, your water and your bank.’

Rubio’s warning came as tens of thousands of AT&T customers reported outages on Thursday morning for their home phone, internet and mobile phone services, according to Downdetector.

The outages started popping up just before 3:30 a.m. ET, according to a graph shown on the website that tracks outages. 

Most users, 54%, say they are having issues with mobile phone service. More than a third of customers reporting being affected say they have no signal at all, and 8% of users say their mobile internet is down.

‘Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning,’ AT&T told FOX Business in a statement. ‘We are working urgently to restore service to them. We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored.’

More than 74,000 AT&T users reported outages to Downdetector as of 9:30 a.m. ET.  

Earlier this month, FBI director Christopher Wray warned that China’s cyberattacks against the U.S. and its allies are reaching a ‘fever pitch.’

‘You might find your companies harassed and hacked, targeted by a web of corporate CCP proxies,’ Wray told the leaders gathered in Germany. ‘You might also find PRC [People’s Republic of China] hackers lurking in your power stations, your phone companies and other infrastructure, poised to take them down when they decide you stepped too far out of line, and that hurting your civilian population suits the CCP.’

‘China-sponsored hackers pre-positioned for potential cyberattacks against U.S. oil and natural gas companies way back in 2011, but these days, it’s reached something closer to a fever pitch,’ he continued. ‘What we’re seeing now is China’s increasing build-out of offensive weapons within our critical infrastructure, poised to attack whenever Beijing decides the time is right.’

Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

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Speaker Johnson slams ‘desperate’ Biden after calling GOP ‘worse’ than segregationists at fundraiser

President Biden this week attacked the Republican Party as worse than segregationists, prompting backlash from party leaders.

Biden made the remarks at a fundraiser on Wednesday, saying the current GOP is worse than the ‘real racists’ he served alongside in the 1970s.

‘I’ve been a senator since ’72. I’ve served with real racists. I’ve served with Strom Thurmond. I’ve served with all these guys that have set terrible records on race,’ Biden told the crowd at the fundraiser, according to the White House press pool.

The president continued, ‘But guess what? These guys are worse. These guys do not believe in basic democratic principles.’

Biden’s words sparked backlash from GOP leaders — specifically Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who called the president ‘desperate’ and ‘underwater in the polls.’

‘Outrageous,’ Johnson said on social media in reaction to the president’s remarks. ‘The least popular President to seek re-election is now so desperate and so underwater in the polls he’s playing the race card from the bottom of the deck.’

Strom Thurmond was a South Carolina senator and ‘Dixiecrat’ presidential candidate who supported segregation. 

The president’s choice to mention Thurmond was notable due to his noted relationship with the Dixiecrat, whom he eulogized following his death.

In his eulogy more than 15 years ago for Thurmond, who later became a Republican, Biden said that while their ‘differences were profound,’ he got to know him and ‘watched him change, oh so subtly.’

‘I went to the Senate emboldened, angered and outraged at age 29 about the treatment of African-Americans in this country, about everything for a period in his life Strom represented. But then I met the man,’ Biden said at the time.

Last year, Biden also claimed to have ‘literally’ convinced Thurmond to vote for the Civil Rights Act — when he was just 21 years old.

‘I was able to — literally, not figuratively — talk Strom Thurmond into voting for the Civil Rights Act before he died,’ the president said at an event for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Biden was born on Nov. 20, 1942. The Civil Rights Act passed the Senate on June 19, 1964.

While Thurmond and Biden were contemporaries in the Senate, the president would have been 21 at the time of the landmark legislation’s passing — and nowhere near the Senate seat he won at 29 years old.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Pappas and Houston Keene contributed to this report.

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Speaker Johnson slams ‘desperate’ Biden after calling GOP ‘worse’ than segregationists at fundraiser

President Biden this week attacked the Republican Party as worse than segregationists, prompting backlash from party leaders.

Biden made the remarks at a fundraiser on Wednesday, saying the current GOP is worse than the ‘real racists’ he served alongside in the 1970s.

‘I’ve been a senator since ’72. I’ve served with real racists. I’ve served with Strom Thurmond. I’ve served with all these guys that have set terrible records on race,’ Biden told the crowd at the fundraiser, according to the White House press pool.

The president continued, ‘But guess what? These guys are worse. These guys do not believe in basic democratic principles.’

Biden’s words sparked backlash from GOP leaders — specifically Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who called the president ‘desperate’ and ‘underwater in the polls.’

‘Outrageous,’ Johnson said on social media in reaction to the president’s remarks. ‘The least popular President to seek re-election is now so desperate and so underwater in the polls he’s playing the race card from the bottom of the deck.’

Strom Thurmond was a South Carolina senator and ‘Dixiecrat’ presidential candidate who supported segregation. 

The president’s choice to mention Thurmond was notable due to his noted relationship with the Dixiecrat, whom he eulogized following his death.

In his eulogy more than 15 years ago for Thurmond, who later became a Republican, Biden said that while their ‘differences were profound,’ he got to know him and ‘watched him change, oh so subtly.’

‘I went to the Senate emboldened, angered and outraged at age 29 about the treatment of African-Americans in this country, about everything for a period in his life Strom represented. But then I met the man,’ Biden said at the time.

Last year, Biden also claimed to have ‘literally’ convinced Thurmond to vote for the Civil Rights Act — when he was just 21 years old.

‘I was able to — literally, not figuratively — talk Strom Thurmond into voting for the Civil Rights Act before he died,’ the president said at an event for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Biden was born on Nov. 20, 1942. The Civil Rights Act passed the Senate on June 19, 1964.

While Thurmond and Biden were contemporaries in the Senate, the president would have been 21 at the time of the landmark legislation’s passing — and nowhere near the Senate seat he won at 29 years old.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Pappas and Houston Keene contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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House GOP leaders jettison promise to vote on 12 individual spending bills

House Republican leaders are eyeing a plan to fund the government that would lump the planned 12 appropriations bills into two or three separate packages, Fox News Digital has learned, apparently backing away from an earlier vow to hold floor votes on each of the bills individually.  

It was a vow made by ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., when Republicans took control of the House after the 2022 elections and has been upheld by House GOP leadership through as recently as November. 

The right had criticized the previous Democrat-led Congress for funding the government via a single massive ‘omnibus’ bill, which they argued leads to more federal spending and gives less of a voice to rank-and-file members than voting on 12 separate bills would. Large, combined spending bills also tend to be magnets for spending and other priorities of individual members since the measures can more easily be hidden away. 

But with the clock ticking until the first of two partial government shutdown deadlines next week, sources told Fox News Digital that GOP leaders are now considering turning the 12 individual bills into a series of ‘minibus’ spending packages – smaller than the omnibus but still stitching together spending bills. They are only ‘mini’ in relation to the ‘omni.’

Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the No. 3 House Republican, confirmed to Fox News Digital that passing minibuses is ‘on the table’ and blamed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for not working with the House on its individual spending bills.

‘Due to the Schumer Senate’s inability to pass individual appropriations bills and the tight timeline we’re working with, all options are on the table including minibus appropriations bills,’ Emmer said. ‘Thanks to Speaker Johnson’s leadership, the days of massive omnibus bills are behind us.’

Current government funding expires on two deadlines, with some agencies and offices running out of money on March 1 while others end March 8. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., came up with the idea to separate the deadlines in order to avoid a single ‘omnibus’ spending bill. 

Johnson told Fox News Sunday in early November that the House was ‘committed to bringing 12 bills to the floor,’ adding it ‘hasn’t been done in many years.’

But a GOP lawmaker and a senior House GOP aide both told Fox News Digital that appropriators are at this point eyeing at least two minibuses to get government funding over the line.

‘I don’t think the parameters of the minibus will be exactly reflecting the two tracks we’re on, it’s probably going to be smaller than that. Maybe a subset of that, a minibus of two or three [appropriations] bills,’ the lawmaker said.

The lawmaker pointed out that while it’s been a goal for conservatives to vote on the 12 bills separately, it’s not really an aim for Democrats — whose votes House GOP leaders will need to pass anything in a divided Congress.

‘There are always going to be a handful of members who refuse to budge from voting on every one of the 12 bills separately,’ the lawmaker said. ‘These negotiations are less focused on getting 216 Republicans to vote for them and more on getting the majority of Republicans and a majority of Democrats to vote for them, and that concern about voting on all 12 is not going to be as prominent.’

The aide said, ‘I think when they started this, they wanted to do three minibuses. I think right now where they’re at is that they think they can do two.’

While the end result would still avoid the prospect of a massive omnibus bill that most Republicans oppose, GOP lawmakers are already bristling at the idea of walking away from their promise to keep the 12 bills separate.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital he’s ‘not surprised, looking at the calendar and just how things have been [dragged] out.’ Like Emmer, he accused the Senate of slow-walking the process and forcing House Republicans into this position.

‘What’s really still disheartening is the way the Senate has dragged out the appropriations process. It’s really disheartening to watch how Washington spends the people’s money, because there’s no real effort to have real negotiations early and take care of your business in an orderly fashion,’ Donalds said. ‘They try to run everything up to the end of the clock and force you into bad deals.’

A member of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., told Fox News Digital that passing minibuses would amount to ‘failure’ for Republicans.

‘Last year, we promised the American people that our House Republican majority would reject the Swamp’s status quo. Part of that promise includes handling government funding in a conservative and fiscally responsible manner, as well as passing each of the 12 appropriations bills,’ Clyde said.

‘We certainly made progress by passing 7 of the spending bills last year but advancing minibuses or an omnibus to finish the job would be a failure, in my opinion.’

Johnson’s office did not return a request for comment by Fox News Digital.

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House GOP leaders jettison promise to vote on 12 individual spending bills

House Republican leaders are eyeing a plan to fund the government that would lump the planned 12 appropriations bills into two or three separate packages, Fox News Digital has learned, apparently backing away from an earlier vow to hold floor votes on each of the bills individually.  

It was a vow made by ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., when Republicans took control of the House after the 2022 elections and has been upheld by House GOP leadership through as recently as November. 

The right had criticized the previous Democrat-led Congress for funding the government via a single massive ‘omnibus’ bill, which they argued leads to more federal spending and gives less of a voice to rank-and-file members than voting on 12 separate bills would. Large, combined spending bills also tend to be magnets for spending and other priorities of individual members since the measures can more easily be hidden away. 

But with the clock ticking until the first of two partial government shutdown deadlines next week, sources told Fox News Digital that GOP leaders are now considering turning the 12 individual bills into a series of ‘minibus’ spending packages – smaller than the omnibus but still stitching together spending bills. They are only ‘mini’ in relation to the ‘omni.’

Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the No. 3 House Republican, confirmed to Fox News Digital that passing minibuses is ‘on the table’ and blamed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for not working with the House on its individual spending bills.

‘Due to the Schumer Senate’s inability to pass individual appropriations bills and the tight timeline we’re working with, all options are on the table including minibus appropriations bills,’ Emmer said. ‘Thanks to Speaker Johnson’s leadership, the days of massive omnibus bills are behind us.’

Current government funding expires on two deadlines, with some agencies and offices running out of money on March 1 while others end March 8. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., came up with the idea to separate the deadlines in order to avoid a single ‘omnibus’ spending bill. 

Johnson told Fox News Sunday in early November that the House was ‘committed to bringing 12 bills to the floor,’ adding it ‘hasn’t been done in many years.’

But a GOP lawmaker and a senior House GOP aide both told Fox News Digital that appropriators are at this point eyeing at least two minibuses to get government funding over the line.

‘I don’t think the parameters of the minibus will be exactly reflecting the two tracks we’re on, it’s probably going to be smaller than that. Maybe a subset of that, a minibus of two or three [appropriations] bills,’ the lawmaker said.

The lawmaker pointed out that while it’s been a goal for conservatives to vote on the 12 bills separately, it’s not really an aim for Democrats — whose votes House GOP leaders will need to pass anything in a divided Congress.

‘There are always going to be a handful of members who refuse to budge from voting on every one of the 12 bills separately,’ the lawmaker said. ‘These negotiations are less focused on getting 216 Republicans to vote for them and more on getting the majority of Republicans and a majority of Democrats to vote for them, and that concern about voting on all 12 is not going to be as prominent.’

The aide said, ‘I think when they started this, they wanted to do three minibuses. I think right now where they’re at is that they think they can do two.’

While the end result would still avoid the prospect of a massive omnibus bill that most Republicans oppose, GOP lawmakers are already bristling at the idea of walking away from their promise to keep the 12 bills separate.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital he’s ‘not surprised, looking at the calendar and just how things have been [dragged] out.’ Like Emmer, he accused the Senate of slow-walking the process and forcing House Republicans into this position.

‘What’s really still disheartening is the way the Senate has dragged out the appropriations process. It’s really disheartening to watch how Washington spends the people’s money, because there’s no real effort to have real negotiations early and take care of your business in an orderly fashion,’ Donalds said. ‘They try to run everything up to the end of the clock and force you into bad deals.’

A member of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., told Fox News Digital that passing minibuses would amount to ‘failure’ for Republicans.

‘Last year, we promised the American people that our House Republican majority would reject the Swamp’s status quo. Part of that promise includes handling government funding in a conservative and fiscally responsible manner, as well as passing each of the 12 appropriations bills,’ Clyde said.

‘We certainly made progress by passing 7 of the spending bills last year but advancing minibuses or an omnibus to finish the job would be a failure, in my opinion.’

Johnson’s office did not return a request for comment by Fox News Digital.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Palestinian gunmen fire on motorists in West Bank, killing 1, injuring 5: Israel

Three Palestinian gunmen killed one person and wounded eight more on Thursday when they opened fire at motorists near an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank.

Police say a combination of officers and civilians at the scene, located near the Israeli city of Maale Adumim, returned fire at the gunmen immediately, killing two and wounding the third. Israeli police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Israel to create even more roadblocks in the West Bank in reaction to the shooting.

Images from the the terrorist attack show multiple damaged vehicles as shocked motorists scrambled to get out of the way of the gunmen.

Israeli officials identified the terrorists as 31-year-old Kadam Zuahara of Bethlehem, his 26-year-old brother Muhammad, and 31-year-old Ahmed Alohash. All are from Bethlehem. Police said they were armed with assault rifles and Carlo rifles. One of the terrorists was also carrying a grenade.

Hamas praised the attack, according to Reuters, calling it a ‘natural response’ to the ongoing war between the terrorist group and Israel that began with the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 that killed at least 1,200 Israelis and included the abduction of hundreds more.

The incident comes as tensions in the West Bank continue to spike. Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza continues, and the IDF has conducted dozens of raids into the West Bank, capturing alleged terrorists and dismantling bomb-making facilities.

At least one U.S. teen was killed in the West Bank last month, with an Israeli settler allegedly responsible. As a result, President Biden’s administration issued sanctions on Israeli settlers in the region.

A White House announcement of the executive order stated that ‘extremist settler violence’ reached record levels in the West Bank in 2023. The sanctions banned dozens of settlers and their families from traveling to or conducting business in the U.S.

‘The United States has consistently opposed actions that undermine stability in the West Bank, including attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, and Palestinian attacks against Israelis,’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement at the time.

Last week, a Palestinian shot and killed two people and wounded four in an attack at a southern Israeli bus stop before a civilian shot and killed the attacker. Hamas praised that incident as well.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Palestinian gunmen fire on motorists in West Bank, killing 1, injuring 5: Israel

Three Palestinian gunmen killed one person and wounded eight more on Thursday when they opened fire at motorists near an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank.

Police say a combination of officers and civilians at the scene, located near the Israeli city of Maale Adumim, returned fire at the gunmen immediately, killing two and wounding the third. Israeli police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Israel to create even more roadblocks in the West Bank in reaction to the shooting.

Images from the the terrorist attack show multiple damaged vehicles as shocked motorists scrambled to get out of the way of the gunmen.

Israeli officials identified the terrorists as 31-year-old Kadam Zuahara of Bethlehem, his 26-year-old brother Muhammad, and 31-year-old Ahmed Alohash. All are from Bethlehem. Police said they were armed with assault rifles and Carlo rifles. One of the terrorists was also carrying a grenade.

Hamas praised the attack, according to Reuters, calling it a ‘natural response’ to the ongoing war between the terrorist group and Israel that began with the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 that killed at least 1,200 Israelis and included the abduction of hundreds more.

The incident comes as tensions in the West Bank continue to spike. Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza continues, and the IDF has conducted dozens of raids into the West Bank, capturing alleged terrorists and dismantling bomb-making facilities.

At least one U.S. teen was killed in the West Bank last month, with an Israeli settler allegedly responsible. As a result, President Biden’s administration issued sanctions on Israeli settlers in the region.

A White House announcement of the executive order stated that ‘extremist settler violence’ reached record levels in the West Bank in 2023. The sanctions banned dozens of settlers and their families from traveling to or conducting business in the U.S.

‘The United States has consistently opposed actions that undermine stability in the West Bank, including attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, and Palestinian attacks against Israelis,’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement at the time.

Last week, a Palestinian shot and killed two people and wounded four in an attack at a southern Israeli bus stop before a civilian shot and killed the attacker. Hamas praised that incident as well.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Maple Leafs star becomes fastest US-born player to 50 goals

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, and was inspired to begin playing hockey by going to Coyotes games.

Perhaps, the All-Star Game MVP could inspire more youngsters in Arizona by scoring his 50th goal of the season on Wednesday night during a 6-3 win at the Coyotes’ arena.

The milestone goal happened in his 54th game of the season, giving him sole possession of fastest to 50 goals for a U.S.-born player. Matthews, 26, had been tied with Kevin Stevens (1992-93) for that record at 62 games. (Matthews did that during a 60-goal MVP campaign in 2021-22.) Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid had been the fastest active player to hit the mark, doing it in 61 games last season.

Matthews’ 50th came in the first period on the power play to give the Maple Leafs a 2-0 lead. He collected his 51st goal of the season in the second period when a puck deflected off him and went in.

No player had scored 50 goals in 55 or fewer games since Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux scored 50 in 50 in 1995-96.

All things Maple Leafs: Latest Toronto Maple Leafs news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Matthews, who has missed just one game this season, told reporters before the game that he had 20 to 25 relatives and friends in the stands. That included some young cousins who have started playing in the past few years.

“I take a lot of pride in being from where I am and trying to be a role model for kids coming out of Arizona to just have that hope and the belief that no matter where you’re from, if you have a dream and stick to it, it’s something you can accomplish,’ he said.

Matthews, the first overall pick in 2016, scored four goals in his NHL debut and had a career-best 60 goals in 2021-22. He’s on pace to become the NHL’s first 70-goal scorer since Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny scored 76 in 1992-93.

He has had six hat tricks this season, including twice in back-to-back games. He now has nine goals in his last four games.

His 0.65 goals-per-game average is tops among active players with at least 100 games. Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, who is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal-scoring record, is averaging 0.60.

The Maple Leafs picked up their fifth consecutive win, all without Morgan Rielly, who was suspended for five games for cross-checking the Ottawa Senators’ Ridly Greig. Rielly lost his appeal and can return Thursday night at the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Coyotes are winless in their last 11 games.

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Messi doesn’t score, but Inter Miami still wins MLS season opener

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi juked and faked two defenders into another direction, and nearly had the punctuation point on Inter Miami’s season-opening win.

Messi’s shot was deflected by the goalie and he turned his body toward fans in the stands, bothered he was unable to find the back of the net during his MLS season debut.

It didn’t matter. He got his work done early in the first half. He hugged Will Smith on his way to the locker room at halftime. And he maintained Inter Miami’s pace as they waited painstakingly for the game-deciding goal in the second half.

Messi assisted Inter Miami’s first goal of the night by Robert Taylor in the 39th minute, and orchestrated the second goal by Diego Gomez in the 83rd minute in a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake in the 2024 MLS season opener at Chase Stadium on Wednesday night.

Messi’s second season in MLS is officially underway, and the world’s best player looks to be in prime form.

He’s running hard, dribbling between defenders. He even had an instance where he dribbled over an injured player, RSL’s Andrew Brody, laying on the pitch before another defender deflected his shot attempt.

“It’s awesome, right? Just playing him and seeing him on the field, and going against him is definitely something cool,” Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna said of Messi. “But when you’re out there, he’s just another player and you’re trying to defend him the best you can and play him the best you can.”

Messi shots on target

Messi had three shots on target in the match, while his longtime Barcelona running-mate Luis Suarez had two of his own. They were unable to score.

But both had timely passes to set up Gomez’s goal, which put the match out of reach for Inter Miami.

Messi dribbled the ball from center spot to the penalty arc, where he gave it up to Suarez, who delivered the assist. And Gomez, who had five goals in seven appearances at the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament last month, delivered.

“There are many things to improve, now we have to enjoy the victory,” said Gomez, who dedicated the goal to his mother, who was in attendance.

Messi’s first attempt was also comical, a free kick after a yellow card where defenders loaded the box and one RSL player stood directly in his path, in the corner of the net he loves to squeeze the ball into in such scenarios. It was a glimpse of how teams will defend Messi in those goal-scoring opportunities.

Still, Messi made a considered effort to get others involved, including Taylor, who benefited in the first half with a goal.

“Whenever Leo gets the ball, I’ll try to make runs for him and create space. This time, he decided to play me through, which is nice, also,” Taylor said.

As for Suarez, it appeared he was laboring at times around midfield when Inter Miami was on defense. But when possession changed and Messi was charging upfield, Suarez was still able to keep pace as best he could.

Inter Miami has hopes to win Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup and the MLS Cup this season.

For now, they’ll celebrate the first win of their season.

Inter Miami’s second match is on the road against L.A. Galaxy on Sunday.

“I’m so happy because it’s the first game winning at home,” Suarez told Apple TV after the match in his debut with Inter Miami alongside old friends Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba from their Barcelona days.

“We’re friends inside the pitch and outside the pitch. We try to help the team, and want to help Inter Miami win something this year.”

LOOK: Must-see images from Lionel Messi’s 2024 MLS season debut

Diego Gomez goal: Inter Miami 2, RSL 0

Lionel Messi set up the sequence. Luis Suarez delivered the assist. And Diego Gomez ended the sequence with a score in the 83rd minute.

Inter Miami takes a 2-0 lead, with Gomez, Suarez and Messi all hugging after the sequence as fireworks erupted at Chase Stadium.

Sure, Inter Miami was leading in the match already. But the time between goals and the challenges they faced before reaching the back of the net again.

Drake Callendar save: Inter Miami 1, RSL 0

Brayan Vera’s header was punched away by Inter Miami goalie Drake Callendar, following a corner kick.

It was a big-time save for Inter Miami’s goalie.

Messi tripped, but no foul: Inter Miami 1, RSL 0

Messi received a pass with a head of steam down the middle, and was tripped up by a defender.

No foul or yellow card. It was offside.

Messi passed it to Robert Taylor, who made sure to return the favor back to Messi in the sequence. Instead of taking a shot, Messi was grounded.

Messi in 60’: Inter Miami 1, Real Salt Lake 0

Messi’s shot toward the net was deflected by the face of RSL’s Brayan Vera, ending a hectic sequence where about seven Inter Miami players passed the ball following a corner kick.

The sequence ended in a offside, while Inter Miami had a case for a handball by RSL.

Still, Inter Miami is hanging onto a 1-0 lead in their season opener.

Messi pass leads to Gressel miss in 52′: Inter Miami 1, Real Salt Lake 0

Leo Messi dribbled between several defenders, and ran out wide to the left side to deliver the perfect pass.

Messi turned around and delivered a floating pass to Julian Gressel, who could not finish the prime opportunity in the back of the net.

It was nearly another highlight assist from Messi.

Messi, Inter Miami start second half with poor defense

The second half is underway, and Inter Miami is lucky after a strike by Real Salt Lake. RSL’s Andres Gomez stoles a ball from Messi and Sergio Busquets, and his strike missed just outside the right side of the net.

Messi also complained about some contact on the other end, but to no avail.

Two minutes later, Inter Miami had another giveaway that was deflected by Julian Gressel.

Messi dribbles over injured Real Salt Lake player: Inter Miami 1, Real Salt Lake 0

Lionel Messi just delivered one of those sequences where his excellence was awe-inspiring.

Messi dribbled the ball with a chip over the laying body of Real Salt Lake’s Andrew Brody, who was down on the pitch after getting his hand stepped on inadvertently. Messi’s shot was deflected by another RSL defender.

But Messi’s touch with the football, and his ability to quickly maneuver in space was in prime form. He even smiled after realizing what he did. Brody eventually walked off the pitch as play continued in extra time of the first half.

Robert Taylor goal: Inter Miami 1, Real Salt Lake 0

Inter Miami has scored its first goal in 2024, and you can thank Lionel Messi for the assist.

Messi found Robert Taylor streaking toward the net, and Taylor connected hard enough to get past the goalie’s stretched arms and into the left side of the net.

It’s Inter Miami 1, Real Salt Lake after the goal in the 39th minute. Here’s the highlight:

Messi, Alba misses in 34′: Inter Miami 0, Real Salt Lake 0

Messi received a pass inside the penalty area, but it appeared he wasn’t ready for the chip shot. He knocked his head back in disgust after the sequence.

Earlier in the minute, Jordi Alba missed just wide to the right after connecting with a pass from Messi’s corner kick.

Lionel Messi nearly connects on free kick from 30 yards out

Pablo Ruiz was shown a yellow card for a foul on Lionel Messi in the 17th minute, setting up the best chance on goal so far. Messi’s free kick from 30 yards away was on goal, but a heads-up play by Justen Glad prevented a goal.

RSL threatens in the 14th minute

Chicho Arango is an absolute bulldog in front of goal, and he nearly had a chance to break the scoreless deadlock in the 14th minute.

Inter Miami’s goalkeeper Drake Callender snuffed out the threat and prevented a rare early moment of attack from RSL from turning into a shot on goal.

Inter Miami dominating possession early

RSL has been sloppy in possession to start the game, but Inter Miami has not been able to capitalize against their nervy opponents.

Inter Miami completed 62 passes (to RSL’s 21) while enjoying 62% of the possession through the first 10 minutes of play.

Inter Miami’s lone corner kick did not result in a legitimate shot on goal.

Messi live stream match today: Inter Miami vs. Real Salt Lake

MLS Season Pass on Apple TV will stream the Inter Miami vs. Real Salt Lake season kickoff match.

Will Smith sighting at Inter Miami-Real Salt Lake

Actor, rapper and producer Will Smith was seen on the field talking to Inter Miami co-owner (and legendary former soccer player) David Beckham.

Lionel Messi starting for Inter Miami vs. Real Salt Lake

Inter Miami’s power quartet of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are all in the starting lineup for the season opener against Real Salt Lake. For Suarez, this is his first MLS start.

Here is the starting 11 for Real Salt Lake as it attempts to extend a 14-game unbeaten streak in MLS opening weekend games:

Inter Miami vs. Real Salt Lake odds

Inter Miami is the favorite to win tonight’s match with -175 moneyline odds, according to BETMGM. Real Salt Lake is a +400 underdog, while a tie is +340.

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez are expected to start for Inter Miami

Lionel Messi (adductor) and Luis Suarez (knee), who were both hampered by injury in Hong Kong earlier this month, are healthy and fit to play the full 90 minutes if necessary, Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said Tuesday.

“They’re playing and they’re ready to play,” Martino said during a news conference. “If they’re required to play 90 minutes, we’re going to look at it always depending on the need of the team.”

Big day for Apple TV as MLS begins 2024 season

Lionel Messi fans can find their Messi fix on Apple TV+ and Apple Music.

The documentary “Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend” debuted late Tuesday on Apple TV+ in time for the start of the MLS season.

Apple also debuted its new Apple Sports App on Wednesday.

Messi playlist on Apple Music

Curb your Messi Mania expectations in 2024 

Major League Soccer is having its moment again in the United States, and you can thank Lionel Messi for that. This will be Messi’s first full season with the team after joining last summer, and captivating fans by leading the club to a Leagues Cup title a month after his arrival. The expectations are even higher in 2024. 

But fans need to temper their expectations of how much they’ll see Messi play — if they see him at all — with a grueling schedule ahead for the 36-year-old star. 

Lionel Messi’s Miami will open season with replacement officials

Major League Soccer locked out referees after its union rejected a tentative contract, putting Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami on track to open the season with replacement officials.

The Professional Soccer Referees Association said Saturday that 95.8% voted against a tentative agreement with the Professional Referee Organization, which supplies match officials to MLS, the NWSL and some lower-tier leagues.

MLS used replacement officials for the first two weeks of its 2014 season before reaching a five-year contract after the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service entered talks.

Lionel Messi fan creates ‘What The Messi’ sneakers 

Andrés Salerno never thought his Lionel Messi customized sneakers would go viral. And he never thought he would get the chance to make a pair, and give them directly to his soccer idol. What started as a passion project and turned into a viral moment led to an opportunity of a lifetime for Salerno, who was born in Buenos Aires. 

Lionel Messi clears air on Hong Kong absence after false reports 

Lionel Messi posted a video Monday on one of the largest social media platforms in China, to dispel “false stories” he did not play in Hong Kong earlier this month due to “political reasons and many other reasons that are totally untrue.” 

Messi, the Inter Miami star, reaffirmed his reasoning to not play in Inter Miami’s sold-out preseason friendly game against a group of Hong Kong all-stars in Hong Kong Stadium on Feb. 4 due to an adductor injury. 

Messi, Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham and the team were serenaded with boos by fans, one day after Messi lightly participated in a training session at the venue. 

MLS Cup 2024 odds: Inter Miami is preseason favorite 

Inter Miami was not exactly an elite MLS team in 2023. In fact, they were outside the playoff bubble for most of the season. However, in 2024, they are the favorites to win the MLS Cup. 

Even if Lionel Messi remains healthy, Miami won’t just waltz into MLS Cup. They’ll have to contend with a myriad of great teams such as last year’s winners, Columbus Crew SC, and last year’s runner-up, Los Angeles FC.  

Here are the 2024 MLS Cup favorites, courtesy of BetMGM: 

Inter Miami (+250) 
Los Angeles FC (+800) 
Columbus Crew (+900) 
FC Cincinnati (+1200) 
Philadelphia Union (+1400) 
New York Red Bulls (+1600) 
Seattle Sounders (+1600) 
Orlando City SC (+2000) 
Atlanta United (+2200) 

10 biggest questions for 2024 MLS season

Lionel Messi Mania will be far from the only intriguing story to follow in MLS this season. From replacement referees to the prospects of some USMNT hopefuls to the Columbus Crew’s repeat chances, there will be plenty to follow in 2024.

Could Lionel Messi play in 2024 Paris Olympics? 

Mascherano also was teammates with Messi when Argentina won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

Group stage play for men’s soccer at the 2024 Olympics starts on Wednesday, July 24. The gold-medal match will be held Friday, July 9. 

That schedule would mean Messi might not miss any MLS games. However, he would miss significant time with Inter Miami as it attempts to defend its Leagues Cup title. 

Inter Miami’s upcoming schedule 

(All games available to stream on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.) 

Feb. 21, vs. Real Salt Lake, 8 p.m. ET 
Feb. 25, at Los Angeles Galaxy, 8:30 p.m. ET 
March 2, vs. Orlando City, 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX) 
March 7, at Nashville SC/Moca winner, 9 p.m. ET (Concacaf Champions League) 
March 10, vs. CF Montréal, 5 p.m. ET 
March 13, vs. Nashville SC/Moca winner, 8:15 p.m. ET (Concacaf Champions League) 
March 16, at D.C. United, 2 p.m. ET 
March 23, at New York Red Bulls, 2 p.m. ET 
March 30, vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m. ET 
April 6, vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m. ET 
April 13, at Sporting Kansas City, 8:30 p.m. ET 
April 20, vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m. ET 
April 27, at New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m. ET 

➤ Inter Miami’s complete 2024 schedule 

Inter Miami in Concacaf Champions Cup 

For the first time in the club’s short history, Inter Miami CF will be competing in the Concacaf Champions Cup. 

The Concacaf Champions Cup — formerly known as the Concacaf Champions League — is the annual continental competition among clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.  

The winner of the Concacaf Champions Cup will qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup. The expanded, 32-team 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will take place in the U.S. from June 15-July 13, 2025. One MLS team — the Seattle Sounders — has qualified for the tournament by virtue of its 2022 Concacaf Champions League win. 

This year’s competition started on Feb. 6. The final will take place on June 2. 

Inter Miami will enter the competition during the Round of 16, with its first game on March 7. It will play the winner of the Round 1 matchup between Nashville SC and Moca FC, a team from the Dominican Republic. 

How MLS teams qualified for 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup: 

FC Cincinnati: 2023 MLS Supporters’ Shield winner 
Columbus Crew: 2023 MLS Cup winner 
Houston Dynamo FC: 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winner 
Inter Miami CF: Leagues Cup 2023 winner 
Nashville SC: Leagues Cup 2023 runner-up 
New England Revolution: Next best in 2023 MLS Supporters’ Shield standings not otherwise qualified 
Orlando City SC: Next best in 2023 MLS Supporters’ Shield standings not otherwise qualified 
Philadelphia Union: Leagues Cup 2023 third place 
St. Louis CITY SC: 2023 MLS Western Conference winner 
Vancouver Whitecaps FC: 2023 Canadian Championship winner 

MLS new kits for 2024 

Every team in the league will be sporting at least one new kit for the new campaign. Take a look at the new jerseys for the 2024 season. 

MLS 2024 season key dates 

Feb. 21: Season opener, Inter Miami vs. Real Salt Lake 
Feb. 24-25: MLS is Back weekend 
May 11-18: Rivalry week 
July 24: MLS All-Star Game, in Columbus, Ohio 
July 26-Aug. 25: Leagues Cup 
Oct. 19: Final day of regular season (MLS Decision Day) 
Dec. 7: MLS Cup 

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Sue Bird: Iowa’s Caitlin Clark will have ‘success early’ in WNBA

Four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird believes Caitlin Clark’s game will translate well into the WNBA.

‘I do think she has a chance at having a lot of success early,’ Bird said during an appearance on ‘The Sports Media Podcast’ with Richard Deitsch, which airs in full on Thursday.

Bird cites the Iowa star’s range as the key weapon to her success. (Clark did break the women’s all-time NCAA scoring record last week on a 35-foot logo shot, after all.) ‘I think a lot of it comes down to her long-distance shooting. That is her separator. You’re not really used to guarding people out there,’ Bird explained.

QUIZ: Love her or hate her, what kind of Caitlin Clark fan are you? Take our quiz to find out.

Bird said it’s ‘realistic’ for Clark to be an All-Star her first year in the league ‘if she plays up to her potential.’

“That’s not a knock on anyone in the WNBA. It’s going to be hard, but I think she can do it,’ said Bird, who retired from the WNBA in 2022 after 22 seasons. ‘You do have to see what happens when they get there. You are now playing against adults and this is their career. But I do think she has a chance at having a lot of success early.’

There has been much speculation about whether Clark will return to Iowa next season. The 22-year-old guard has an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic or she can declare for the 2024 WNBA Draft, where Clark would be a surefire No. 1 pick for the Indiana Fever. Bird said Indiana has “a really good roster for her.’

“She’s going to be teaming up right out the gate with two really good post players (Aliyah Boston and NaLyssa Smith) that are going to complement her,” Bird said. “There is precedent for people coming out of college and coming in and playing amazing, players such as Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi and others. But she still has to come in and do it and there’ll be some growing pains just like all those players I just listed had.”

OPINION: Should Caitlin Clark stay at Iowa or go to WNBA? How about the Olympics? It’s complicated

Whether she chooses to stay at Iowa or move to the WNBA, all eyes will be on Clark. Bird attributed the limelight around Clark to her long-range game and the evolution of women’s sports, particularly basketball.

“Let’s start with her long-distance shooting,” Bird said. “The one thing that cancels out people’s obsession with dunking as it relates to the comparison between men’s and women’s basketball is deep shooting. If we want to call it the logo 3, let’s call it that. For whatever reason, men in particular, they don’t hate on it. There’s nothing to hate on because it is what it is. So I think that part of her game lends to people cheering for it. I think it’s also captivating, right? The way that she plays with the long-distance shooting, it’s captivating. Everybody’s interested in it. So that’s one part of it.”

Bird added: “I think the other part is that women’s basketball is having a moment and that moment needed somebody to team up with it. So Caitlin, based on just the year in which she was born and doing what she is doing in college right now, is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this moment. There are other players right now in college basketball where you can feel excitement. JuJu Watkins is killing it at USC and could arguably end up being one of the best players ever. I’m not saying that loosely; it’s because of the way she is starting her career.”

CAITLIN CLARK sets sights on Pete Maravich with next game vs. Indiana

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