Breaking
Wealth World News
Archive

2024

Browsing
Sports

NFL franchise tag candidates: What is each team’s best option?

The window for NFL teams to apply the franchise tag (or transition tag) opened Tuesday. Clubs now have until 4 p.m. ET on March 5 to designate one of their pending free agents as such, generally meaning he will play next season on a lucrative one-year contract derived from the top salaries at his position – a deal that will provide a nice financial bump yet, conversely (and often more germanely) restricts the player from landing a massive payday or the ability to play elsewhere in the subsequent season.

Yet tags can also be a precursor to a trade or simply a placeholder that allow a player and his camp more time to hammer out a long-term arrangement (see Lamar Jackson, circa 2023). However when those outcomes don’t materialize, they can often lead to missed training camps, occasionally early season absences or – like in the infamous case of former Pittsburgh Steelers star Le’Veon Bell – sitting out an entire campaign and an entirely altered career arc. Consequently, buyers, most definitely beware – especially, as the Jackson case ostensibly proved, other teams are apparently completely unwilling to part with two first-round picks, the cost to lure away a franchised player.

As all 32 teams mull their tag options over the next two weeks, here’s a bit of advice for each (notes: salary cap projections courtesy Over The Cap; teams listed alphabetically):

Arizona Cardinals

No tag-appropriate option here, nor should second-year GM Monti Ossenfort be focused on anything but the long view … which his 2023 draft maneuverings suggest he is.

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

Atlanta Falcons

Their best free agent is 37-year-old DL Calais Campbell. Moving on.

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Their defense is probably about to lose a substantial chunk of its depth, and WR2 Gabe Davis, 24, is also out of contract. But a capped-out team won’t be tagging defenders past their primes or an inconsistent pass catcher whose production can be replicated by tight ends.

Carolina Panthers

They’ve been very reluctant to part with two-time Pro Bowl OLB Brian Burns, 25, who’s averaged close to nine sacks and 30 pressures over his five-year career. New GM Dan Morgan may just be entering his current role, but he’s been part of the front office since 2021 … and hard to imagine a former linebacker letting an excellent one, who’s also a three-time team captain, leave a roster that can hardly afford to relinquish talent and leadership.

Chicago Bears

GM Ryan Poles has already indicated he’s not letting Pro Bowl CB Jaylon Johnson, 24, out of the Windy City. No one else currently on this roster merits a tag.

Cincinnati Bengals

Despite missing five games last season, Tee Higgins, 25 – he’d be a No. 1 receiver for some teams – is the obvious choice, and Cincy has the cap space to absorb it.

Cleveland Browns

Much as they might want to franchise Comeback Player of the Year QB Joe Flacco – just in case – don’t expect them to use it on anyone here in the real world.

Dallas Cowboys

Good as he’s historically been, LT Tyron Smith is 33 and prone to injury. C Tyler Biadasz is solid but doesn’t warrant the left tackle money the offensive line tag confers. Given how much RB Tony Pollard’s value slipped as a franchised feature back in 2023, no reason to tag him again with better options available on the market. Better to get an overbudget cap in order and figure out the long-term plans for QB Dak Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb and OLB Micah Parsons.

Denver Broncos

Their finances are already a mess, and they haven’t even eaten QB Russell Wilson’s contract yet.

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Nobody here who warrants a tag and – currently – inadequate cap space to use one.

Houston Texans

Given how relatively cheap it is to tag a tight end or kicker, Dalton Schultz or Ka’imi Fairbairn, respectively, are the most cost-effective options for the recently christened AFC South champions. But given his upward trajectory, popularity in the locker room and this defense’s reliance on a deep and effective pass rush, tagging DE Jonathan Greenard, 26, who had a career-best 12½ sacks last season, is probably the move.

Indianapolis Colts

GM Chris Ballard has never tagged a player during his seven seasons on the job. He’ll need to seriously consider it for WR Michael Pittman Jr., 26, in the aftermath of a career year (109 catches for 1,152 yards) – especially given the impact he can have on QB Anthony Richardson.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Pro Bowl OLB Josh Allen, 26, racked up a career-high 17½ sacks in 2023, tied for second in the league. The Jags have already indicated he won’t be leaving Duval County in 2024.

Kansas City Chiefs

Best-case scenario: All-Pro DT Chris Jones, 29, follows through on his hints and agrees to an extension soon, leaving the tag available for CB L’Jarius Sneed, 27. Otherwise, a major decision to be made.

Las Vegas Raiders

Much as new HC Antonio Pierce might like and value RB Josh Jacobs, hard to justify another franchise tag after his league-best production for rushing yards and yards from scrimmage in 2022 plummeted by roughly 50% last season.

Los Angeles Chargers

New HC Jim Harbaugh said RB Austin Ekeler is a “tremendous back, (who) we’d love to keep.” Sounds good in theory. Also, Ekeler will be 29 in May, is coming off an injury-depressed season and is set to be part of a saturated market for running backs. Given all the other cap decisions the Bolts face, probably best to keep the tag in their collective pocket.

Los Angeles Rams

G Kevin Dotson, 27, had an awakening during his first year in L.A. Doesn’t mean you pay him roughly $20 million in 2024.

Miami Dolphins

While free agency could deal a blow to their offensive line, C Connor Williams and G Robert Hunt both set to go free, the Fins probably have to tag DT Christian Wilkins, 28 … though, currently more than $50 million over the cap, that will force other significant financial decisions.

Minnesota Vikings

QB Kirk Cousins and OLB Danielle Hunter contractually can’t be franchised. So, end of discussion.

New England Patriots

Versatile DB Kyle Dugger, 27, seems like the most appropriate candidate, and the Pats – with nearly $70 million in cap space – can certainly afford a tag. It is worth wondering if Dugger would seek an arrangement somewhere in between safety and the more expensive cornerback tag salaries given he regularly plays both positions.

New Orleans Saints

A team that has to reapportion more than $80 million to become cap compliant has no business – or reason – to be trafficking in tags.

New York Giants

RB Saquon Barkley is an important piece to this puzzle, but 2023 was a reminder he can’t carry this offense alone. Now 27, probably better to let him test the market and determine his value rather than invite more bad blood with another tag – and, heck, maybe he even re-signs at the end of the day. Better to franchise ascending S Xavier McKinney, 24.

New York Jets

Be nice to keep OLB Bryce Huff, 25, who’s blossoming into an elite pass rusher in the wake of a season with a career-best 10 sacks and 33 pressures. But hard to justify such an expensive tag (approaching $23 million) for a role player on a deep unit who played fewer than half of the defensive snaps last year – and given the priority needs to be bolstering the supporting cast around QB Aaron Rodgers.

Philadelphia Eagles

They haven’t used a tag in 12 years, longer than any other team. No reason to expect that drought ends now.

Pittsburgh Steelers

No thanks … effective and efficient as QB Mason Rudolph, 28, was during his late-season promotion.

San Francisco 49ers

Be nice to perpetuate 24-year-old DE Chase Young’s career resurgence after trading a third-round pick for him, but not for $20 million or so.

Seattle Seahawks

New HC Mike Macdonald would surely like to retain versatile DL Leonard Williams, 29, but the ‘Hawks don’t presently have the salary flexibility to accommodate a tag for a player of his stature. Perennial Pro Bowl LB Bobby Wagner, 33, earned $7 million on an incentive-laden deal in 2023 and won’t be tagged. He intends to play in 2024, though it’s not clear if he’ll take another team-friendly contract.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Probably no club faces a bigger identity crisis than the three-time-defending NFC South champs, who face the prospect of losing QB Baker Mayfield, Pro Bowl WR Mike Evans and All-Pro FS Antoine Winfield Jr. Winfield’s age (25), breakout season and relatively tag friendly position make him the logical choice, especially since Mayfield and the team seem to have mutual interest in a reunion.

Tennessee Titans

Despite being awash in cap room, no reason for a rebooting organization to tag anyone, not even RB Derrick Henry, 30, given his age and odometer.

Washington Commanders

While DBs Kamren Curl and Kendall Fuller are solid, makes more sense for new GM Adam Peters and HC Dan Quinn to take the league’s worst defense down to the studs and spend their windfall of free agency funds more judiciously.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Sports

USWNT kicks off Gold Cup with comfortable win in rainy SoCal

With the United States women’s national soccer team in flux, the Concacaf W Gold Cup represents a moment for players old and new to claim places of prominence.

Midge Purce and Olivia Moultrie heeded the call, leading the USWNT to a 5-0 rout of the Dominican Republic as the teams kicked off their Group A slate late in rain drenched Carson, California, on Tuesday night.

Purce, fresh off of a 2023 NWSL championship victory with NJ/NY Gotham FC, posted three assists, while Moultrie scored her first two goals with the senior national team.

The USWNT spent much of the last year or so guilty of some slow starts, but came flying out of the gates in the first seconds of their W Gold Cup opener.

Lynn Williams seemed to have converted that early pressure into a second-minute goal, only for an offside call on Sophia Smith to negate it.

The wait wouldn’t be long, though, as Purce waltzed through the Dominican Republic defense along the right before chopping a low cross  towards a wave of USWNT targets. Moultrie ended up winning the race, with the Portland Thorns midfielder finishing the move with a tap-in.

The USWNT came to grips with the nuances of a new-look 3-2-4-1 formation, but eventually Purce would find another, very similar assist in the 30th minute.

This time, Williams wouldn’t end up ruing an offside call, firing home after the feed from her Gotham teammate was right on the money.

Korbin Albert nearly joined Moultrie in claiming a first USWNT goal, jogging in to cap a simple 44th minute attacking sequence, only for Gabriella Cuevas to arrive to barely deflect the effort onto the crossbar.

After halftime, the Purce show continued, with the Gotham attacker getting her third assist of the night in the 58th minute.

This time, the Maryland native faked a shot to get past Winibian Peralta outside the box, before pinging a low service to leave Moultrie little option but to guide the ball home.

The USWNT’s newcomers kept it going to pad the margin of victory, with substitute Jaedyn Shaw winning a VAR-assisted penalty kick after Brianne Reed appeared to step on the San Diego Wave star’s foot.

Jenna Nighswonger eventually got the nod to step to the spot in the 86th minute, with the reigning NWSL Rookie of the Year making no mistake.

The late penalty seemed to finish things, but there was still time for Alex Morgan to break the longest goalless run of her USWNT career. This time, Reed brought Trinity Rodman down along the endline, giving up a second late penalty kick.

Nighswonger collected the ball, but handed it off to the U.S. legend, who was only named to the W Gold Cup squad as an injury replacement after Mia Fishel tore her ACL on Monday.

It might not have meant a lot in terms of the result, but Morgan’s successful effort from 12 yards ended an 11-game run for the U.S. without getting onto the scoresheet.

The USWNT’s next challenge at the W Gold Cup will be a meeting with Argentina, who held on for a scoreless draw with Mexico earlier on Tuesday.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Ranking 10 NFL teams best positioned to make major noise in offseason

In a league set up to foster parity – and the Super Bowl 58 participant Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers don’t appear to have the resources to manage much beyond keeping their respective cores intact – quite a few clubs possess the assets to start significantly closing the gap, while a select number could be poised to further upgrade into even more serious contenders for Super Bowl 59.

Here are 10 squads perched to make a lot of noise over the next few months, their impactful outlooks ranked from substantial to potentially league-altering (note: salary cap projections courtesy Over The Cap):

10. Green Bay Packers

The league’s youngest team last season, the arrow is decidedly pointed up after new leader of the Pack Jordan Love guided this group to a surprise appearance in the postseason’s divisional round. GM Brian Gutekunst will get even more talented pieces in the draft, stocked with an extra second-rounder from last year’s trade of QB Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets – it would have been a first had he not gotten hurt – plus an additional third-rounder courtesy of shipping CB Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills at last year’s trade deadline. The Packers rarely pursue top-of-the-market free agents and, given their lack of salary cap space, no reason to expect that will change this year. However it would make sense to re-sign All-Pro return man Keisean Nixon, who also became the starting slot cornerback in 2023.

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

9. Philadelphia Eagles

A team looking to get to top of the NFC East may have to do so without a huge leadership void if C Jason Kelce, DE Brandon Graham and DT Fletcher Cox all move on. The Eagles, who need to get QB Jalen Hurts right in 2024, currently have roughly $19 million to spend in free agency, pick 22nd overall and own an extra second-rounder thanks to a pre-draft trade with the New Orleans Saints two years ago.

8. New York Giants

A team looking to get to top of the NFC East may have to do so without free agent RB Saquon Barkley. The Giants, who need to get QB Daniel Jones right in 2024, currently have roughly $19 million to spend in free agency, pick sixth overall and own an extra second-rounder after dealing DL Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks at last year’s trade deadline.

7. Tennessee Titans

Lots of work ahead as they move on from the Mike Vrabel/Ryan Tannehill/Derrick Henry era. Lots can be accomplished with the seventh and 38th picks of the draft plus more than $65 million in cap space.

6. New England Patriots

Lots of work ahead as they move on from the Bill Belichick era. Lots can be accomplished with the third and 34th picks of the draft plus more than $65 million in cap space.

5. Houston Texans

Few expected overnight success, even after they drafted QB C.J. Stroud and DE Will Anderson Jr. – last season’s rookies of the year – but that’s pretty much what occurred for the reigning AFC South champions. Now, armed with nearly $55 million worth of cap space, GM Nick Caserio must decide how aggressive he wants to get boosting the roster around Stroud during the years when his salary is depressed by a rookie contract. That could mean re-signing players like TE Dalton Schultz, RB Devin Singletary, DE Jonathan Greenard and deadeye K Ka’imi Fairbairn. It could also mean extending WR Nico Collins and/or pursuing another target for Stroud … and let’s not forget pending free agent WR Mike Evans is from nearby Galveston, Texas. Caserio also owns the final Round 1 selection obtained in the 2022 trade of QB Deshaun Watson. The Texans do not have their organic first-rounder, but given it’s 27th on the board, sending it to the Cardinals last year in order to get Anderson already looks like a coup.

4. Detroit Lions

A team that finished one win shy of the Super Bowl for only the second time in its beleaguered history won’t be drafting very high on the heels of its NFC championship game berth – and GM Brad Holmes and HC Dan Campbell are fine with that and will have an extra third-rounder (for a draft hosted by Motown) thanks to the 2022 trade of TE T.J. Hockenson. The Lions also have nearly $45 million in cap space, money that could be used to keep or replace guards Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Jonah Jackson and/or improve in other areas. This could also be the time to extend QB Jared Goff, who’s heading into his walk year, a move that could actually create more financial room to maneuver in the short term. Among teams that qualified for the NFL’s version of the Final Four last season, none of the others has anything close to Detroit’s upward mobility.

3. Arizona Cardinals

With more than $41 million in projected cap space, second-year GM Monti Ossenfort should be in business given his roster is badly in need of reinforcements. But expect him to primarily be in draft-and-develop mode, the Cards seemingly positioned to take the draft’s top non-quarterback (and perhaps best player overall) – maybe Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.? – before selecting again 27th and 35th overall. Ossenfort, who showed himself as a willing on-the-clock wheeler dealer last year, also owns three choices in the third round. A team that seemed to maximize its limited talent in 2023 should have a lot more to work with in 2024.

2. Washington Commanders

With nearly $74 million in the coffers, most in the league, heading into free agency, no team will have more spending power – and that likely wouldn’t diminish much even if CB Kendall Fuller remains. But new GM Adam Peters and HC Dan Quinn should really be able to get their tenure off to a nice start in the draft, where the Commanders are slotted second overall – a spot almost sure to be ticketed for their latest crack at a franchise passer – and also have two picks in Rounds 2 (36th and 40th overall) and 3 following the midseason trades of DEs Montez Sweat and Chase Young.

1. Chicago Bears

The releases of veteran S Eddie Jackson and OL Cody Whitehair last week created even more financial flexibility, GM Ryan Poles now operating with nearly $67 million ahead of free agency – and some portion of that should be earmarked to retain CB Jaylon Johnson. But the draft is what might allow Chicago to fundamentally alter its future trajectory. The first-round pick obtained from the Carolina Panthers last year miraculously turned into the No. 1 selection in 2024 – one that could allow the Bears to take USC’s Caleb Williams or another passer and reset their quarterback contractual clock, while presumably getting value in return for still-promising Justin Fields. Or Chicago could stick with Fields and put two more top-10 picks around him – even if Poles leverages the top pick for a second straight offseason – given Chicago also picks ninth overall. Every reason for Bears fans to expect this offseason to be one that truly charts a course back to long-term relevance.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Progressive Democrat caucus loses another member over anti-Israel positions

Divisions in the Democrat Party’s progressive wing are continuing to deepen in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, forcing some pro-Israel Democrats out of key factions.  

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. has left the House Congressional Progressive Caucus, Axios first reported on Wednesday, making him the second Democrat to depart the caucus in recent months. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., left in November last year. 

Torres has been at odds with some of his Democratic colleagues, including far-left ‘Squad’ members about his support for Israel. 

In December, he and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., clashed after she suggested Torres was comfortable with Palestinian casualties as a result of Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks. 

‘Every casualty is a tragedy, every war is a humanitarian crisis, but we have to keep in mind the causes of the war,’ he told CNN host Dana Bash in an interview. ‘Israel did not start the war, the war was imposed upon Israel by the barbaric terrorism of Hamas, which butchered 1,400 Israelis, including babies,’ he said, referring to the terrorist attack on Oct. 7 in southern Israel.

‘You know, my colleague, Rep. Omar, has voted against Iron Dome, which is a missile defense system that protects Israeli civilians from relentless rocket fire,’ he told CNN host Dana Bash. ‘Were it not for Iron Dome interceptions, there would be far more dead Israelis – far more, by orders of magnitude. So the policy position that she has taken would have led to more dead Israelis and more dead Palestinians.’

In December, Torres responded to Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and other hard-left figures after she seemed unable to explain why there was a hesitation among some progressives to condemn Hamas’ sexual violence against Israeli women. 

CNN’s Bash asked Torres in an intervew why it was so difficult for progressives to ‘unequivocally call out the barbaric sexual violence against Israeli women.’

‘Look, there’s often been a double standard against Israel when it comes to condemning the sheer butchery and barbarism of Hamas,’ Torres said. 

‘Public officials have a moral obligation to speak with clarity rather than caveats. And I found it deeply troubling, for example, that the U.N. Women, the so-called women’s rights arm of the United Nations, went 50 days without commenting on or condemning the sexual atrocities that Hamas perpetrated against Israeli women. For me, this is not about politics. This is about decency. It is indecent to deny or downplay or ‘both sides’ the rape and sexual violence against Israeli women on Oct. 7.’

Torres was also one of 22 Democrats to vote to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., for her anti-Israel comments. 

Torres’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Fox News Digital’s Alexander Hall and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Poll shows Biden’s lead over Trump shrinking in 2024 matchup as concerns over physical fitness grow

Former President Donald Trump is edging President Biden in a hypothetical general election rematch, according to new polling that reveals growing concerns over the president’s physical health.

A new Quinnipiac University poll found that Biden currently leads in a hypothetical race against Trump by four points, locking in 49% support of likely voters over 45% who said they would vote for the former president.

The results reflect a slight narrowing in the race, after a Jan. 31 poll found Biden leading Trump by 6 points, 50% to 44%.

Trump remains the frontrunner in the Republican presidential primary, securing support from 80% of Republican-identifying respondents, while only 17% said former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is their preferred GOP nominee.  

Amid growing concerns over the president’s fitness, a large majority of voters, 67%, said they believe Biden is too old and not physically capable of completing another four-year term as president.

On the flip side, 57% of voters think Trump is not too old to serve another term as president.

The survey also noted that nearly twice as many voters believe Trump to be more physically fit than Biden.

‘A Biden-Trump split decision on physical and emotional fitness leaves both looking vulnerable,’ Tim Malloy, Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst, said in a statement. ‘Yes, Trump wins walking away on the age and stamina question, but voters have more confidence in Biden’s empathy toward them and his emotional stability to handle the job.’

Only 40% of voters said they approve of Biden’s handling of the presidency.

The polling results come just weeks after Special Counsel Robert Hur released his report on Biden’s handling of classified documents and described the president as ‘a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

GOP AGs warn Biden admin of ‘catastrophic’ consequences of FAA pushing DEI over merit-based hiring

A group of almost a dozen attorneys general across the U.S. have sent a letter to the Biden administration warning that DEI hiring practices within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are putting airline passengers in danger.

‘We are troubled by some recent reports regarding your agency’s hiring practices and priorities,’ Kansas Republican AG Kris Kobach and 10 other attorneys general wrote to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker. ‘It seems that the FAA has placed ‘diversity’ bean counting over safety and expertise, and we worry that such misordered priorities could be catastrophic for American travelers.’

According to the letter, the FAA under the Biden administration ‘appears to prioritize virtue-signaling ‘diversity’ efforts over aviation expertise’ and ‘this calls into question the agency’s commitment to safety.’

Kobach and the other attorneys general allege that the FAA is no longer focusing on merit when hiring employees and has instead put its focus on diversity and pointed to statements made by the FAA related to a ‘five year strategic plan’ to ‘diversify its workforce by rethinking its hiring practices and capitalize on opportunities to hire people who will bring new and diverse skills to the agency and reflect the demographics of the U.S. labor force.’

‘These efforts follow on work that reportedly started under the Obama Administration when the agency shockingly sought out applicants with ‘severe intellectual’ and ‘psychiatric’ disabilities to staff the agency responsible for air traffic control, aviation safety, major airports, commercial space regulation, and security and hazardous materials safety,’ the letter states.

Fox News Digital has previously reported on the FAA’s recent push to hire workers with ‘severe intellectual’ disabilities, which sparked concern and mockery from many. 

The letter also pointed to a recent ‘Year of Inclusion’ symposium where employees were subjected to racial sensitivity training and said the agency has been pushing forward with racial trainings despite previously acknowledging that ‘[t]here is a trade-off between diversity… and predicted job performance/outcomes.’

The letter explains that ‘failure is not an option’ when it comes to protecting the 45,000 fights filled with 2.9 million people that fly across the U.S. each day. 

The letter argues that the FAA ‘must return to prioritizing safety over diversity and virtue signaling’ and ‘should once again hire based on merit so that only the most qualified aviation experts take care of America’s air travel.’

‘Given the recent FAA failure that delayed thousands of flights last January and the recent spike in near aircraft collisions, I am very worried that the FAA has lost sight of its primary goal — ensuring the safety of American skies,’ Kansas Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach told Fox News Digital. 

‘American lives depend on the FAA hiring the most qualified aviation experts.’

In addition to Kobach, the letter was signed by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Trump comparing himself to Navalny lacks ‘common decency,’ former rival Hutchinson says

Former Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson called former President Donald Trump ‘offensive’ for comparing himself to deceased Russian activist Alexei Navalny.

Hutchinson reacted to the former president’s words in an interview with CNN’s John Berman, saying the comment lacked ‘common decency.’

‘Well, it’s offensive to me. And there should be common decency, first of all. A respect for Alexei Navalny, that gave his life for freedom and fighting against a dictator. There should be respect for that,’ said Hutchinson.

Hutchinson continued, ‘And there should also be a clear understanding that Putin is responsible, and that Putin is bad for Russia. He’s bad for anybody that loves freedom, and the United States should be having a clear voice.’

Trump wrote on social media following the news of Navalny’s death that the mysterious passing ‘has made me more and more aware of what’s happening in our country. It is a slow, steady progression with crooked radical left politicians and prosecutors and judges.’

The comment received strong backlash from those inside and outside the Republican Party, with many calling the remarks tone deaf.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley claimed Trump’s comments were intentionally and obviously self-serving.

‘This is on the heels of Trump saying that he would encourage Putin to invade any NATO countries that didn’t pull their weight – and now the only comment he’s going to make about Navalny is not hitting Putin for murdering him, not praising Navalny for fighting the corruption that was happening in Russia. But instead he’s going to compare himself to Navalny and the victim that he is in his court cases?’ she said.

Trump again addressed the suspicious death while participating in a Greenville, South Carolina, town hall hosted by Fox News’ Laura Ingraham just days ahead of the state’s Republican presidential primary – striking a more sympathetic tone.

‘Navalny – a very sad situation. He was very brave because he went back [to Russia] when he could have stayed away,’ Trump said when asked about the outrage from world leaders surrounding Navalny’s death, as well as claims by his opponents that he doesn’t care about human rights and freedom.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz, Brandon Gillespie, and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Biden campaign trolls Trump’s ‘weakest operation in recent history’ amid lagging campaign cash

President Biden’s re-election campaign is pulling no punches in trolling former President Donald Trump following its ‘historic’ cash-on-hand announcement and massive fundraising haul for the month of January.

The Biden campaign said Monday it raised more than $42 million last month and has $130 million in cash-on-hand across all of its joint-fundraising committees — a figure the president’s re-election team is touting as ‘the highest total amassed by any Democratic candidate in history’ at this point in the election cycle.

Those numbers compare to just $30 million cash-on-hand reported by the Trump campaign at the end of January, although his campaign has not yet released its fundraising numbers for the month.

‘It’s been a tough couple of weeks if you are Donald Trump and also like money,’ Biden campaign official Ammar Moussa told Fox News Digital. ‘The RNC had its worst fundraising year in decades, is hemorrhaging cash, and now Trump enters the general election with the weakest operation in recent history.’ 

‘While Trump and the RNC burn cash paying for Trump’s… challenges, our campaign is proud of its historic war chest whose funds are going to reach the voters who will decide this election this November,’ he added, referencing Trump’s numerous legal defenses being waged in Washington, D.C., Miami and Atlanta courtrooms.

Last year, Trump’s campaign fundraising apparatus shelled out $50 million to cover the cost of those legal bills, contributing to Biden’s financial upper-hand. 

However, Trump’s campaign is pointing to his edge in early general election polls that show him leading or statistically tied with Biden, as well as what they say is the inflow of money from everyday Americans ready for a change.

‘President Trump’s campaign is fueled by small dollar donors across the country from every background who are sick and tired of Crooked Joe Biden’s record-high inflation, wide open border invasion, crime and chaos,’ Trump campaign national press secretary Karolina Leavitt told Fox News Digital.

‘Voters don’t want four more years of misery and destruction, and that’s why President Trump is dominating Biden in every single battleground poll,’ she added.

Biden’s cash advantage also comes just weeks after Fox News Digital reported on the cash problems and swing-state disarray being faced by the Republican National Committee as its rival, the Democratic National Committee, held nearly three times the cash-on-hand to start the election year.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Russian government hunting Ukrainian OnlyFans model who posed topless in front of church

A Ukrainian OnlyFans model who posted a photo of herself topless in front of a major Russian church is being hunted by officials.

Lolita Bogdanova, 24, posted a photo of her exposed breasts in front of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square in 2021. 

The photos have recently resurfaced on the internet, creating a controversy in Russia as public decency laws have been tightened over the last two years.

Bogdanova reportedly agreed to stay inside Russia’s borders throughout the investigation, but recent images posted to her Instagram account appear to show she is in the United States.

Following the initial release of the photos, Bogdanova apologized publicly for offending religious believers and claimed she had not uploaded the pictures herself.

Bogdanova is originally from Makiivka in eastern Ukraine.

The Russian Interior Ministry has stated that Bogdanova is wanted by law enforcement ‘under a criminal article’ but specific charges have not yet been disclosed.

OnlyFans has resumed service to models in Russia after briefly cutting off its payment system in 2022 amid the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine.

A slew of recent arrests and punishments have been enforced on political dissidents and perceived threats to Russian society.

A 33-year-old amateur ballerina with dual U.S.-Russian citizenship has been detained in Russia and is facing life in prison for allegedly donating $51 to Ukraine’s war effort. 

Russia’s main domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service, reported the woman’s arrest on charges of treason. The FSB said the woman is a resident of Los Angeles, California, and accused her of collecting money for the Ukrainian military. 

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Trump reveals VP shortlist includes DeSantis, Scott, Ramaswamy, Noem, Donalds, Gabbard

Former President Trump indicated that at least a half a dozen contenders — including three former rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination — are on his shortlist for running mate.

The commanding frontrunner for the GOP nomination had plenty of praise for one of those potential candidates who joined Trump at Fox News town hall on Tuesday in this upstate South Carolina city.

During the program, which ran on Fox News’ ‘The Ingraham Angle,’ Trump was asked about half a dozen potential running mate choices: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, a Democrat turned independent.

‘Are they all on your shortlist?’ host Laura Ingraham asked the former president.

‘They are,’ Trump answered. ‘Honestly, all of those people are good. They’re all good, they’re all solid.’

Trump has a history of making comments off the cuff, and many in the political world see DeSantis as Trump’s running mate as a stretch, since the two and their camps blasted each other for over a year before the Florida governor suspended his 2024 campaign last month just ahead of the New Hampshire primary.

DeSantis endorsed Trump at the time but has not joined him on the campaign trail in the ensuing weeks. In fact, DeSantis was also in South Carolina on Tuesday for an official event and did not team up with Trump.

Ramaswamy, who has long been a strong supporter of Trump’s America First agenda, dropped his White House bid last month after the Iowa caucuses and endorsed the former president. He has teamed up with Trump multiple times since then and campaigned on behalf of Trump in South Carolina on Tuesday.

Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, suspended his presidential bid in November and enthusiastically endorsed Trump in New Hampshire last month. He has also joined the former president on the campaign trail in South Carolina the past two weeks.

Scott — as he arrived at the Greenville Convention Center — received a warm welcome from the large crowd of mostly Trump supporters in the audience.

‘A lot of people are talking about that gentleman right over there,’ Trump said, as he pointed to Scott, who was sitting in the front row of the audience. 

‘He’s been such a great advocate. I have to say this in a very positive way, Tim Scott, he has been much better for me than he was for himself. I watched his campaign, and he doesn’t like talking about himself. But, boy, does he talk about Trump,’ the former president said of Scott. ‘I called him and I said, ‘Tim, you’re better for me than you were for yourself.’’

Of the other three on the list that Trump acknowledged, the conservative Noem is a longtime strong Trump supporter and surrogate, as is Donalds, a Black congressman on the right who is a top Trump ally in the House.

Gabbard, who served in the Iraq War and ran unsuccessfully for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, became increasingly critical of her party after she left Congress. Two years ago, Gabbard became an independent and has become a favorite among conservatives.

The Trump town hall was held four days before Saturday’s Republican presidential primary in South Carolina, where polls indicate Trump maintains a very large double-digit lead over his last remaining major rival — former U.N. ambassador and former Palmetto State Gov. Nikki Haley.

Haley, in a speech in Greenville a couple of hours before Trump landed in the city, said that ‘some of you — perhaps a few of you in the media — came here today to see if I’m dropping out of the race. Well, I’m not. Far from it.’

‘I refuse to quit. South Carolina will vote on Saturday. But on Sunday, I’ll still be running for president. I’m not going anywhere,’ Haley emphasized.

She added that ‘I have no fear of Trump’s retribution.’

When asked about Haley’s comments, Trump said during the Fox News town hall that ‘you’re not supposed to lose your home state. It shouldn’t happen anyway, and she’s losing it bigly.’

‘I don’t think she knows how to get out,’ Trump surmised. ‘She just can’t get herself to get out.’

Trump reiterated that he has ruled out Haley as his running mate.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By