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Biden says selecting Harris as running mate was ‘best decision I made’ after VP’s concession speech

After Vice President Kamala Harris’s speech on Wednesday conceding her loss to President-elect Trump in the 2024 race, President Biden issued a statement saying that selecting Harris as his running mate was the ‘best decision’ he made.

In a written statement, Biden said Harris stepped up to lead a ‘historic campaign’ under ‘extraordinary circumstances.’

Harris’ campaign, Biden said, ’embodied what’s possible when guided by a strong moral compass and a clear vision for a nation that is more free, more just, and full of more opportunities for all Americans.’

Biden said selecting Harris was the first decision he made after he became the nominee for president in 2020.

‘It was the best decision I made. Her story represents the best of America’s story. And as she made clear today, I have no doubt that she’ll continue writing that story,’ Biden said. 

The statement came shortly after Harris told supporters at her alma mater, Howard University, that she had lost her race against Trump. 

‘The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,’ Harris said. ‘But hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright, as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.’

Harris had planned to address Wednesday’s audience on Election Night with a more upbeat message to deliver. 

Instead, when Harris took the stage, she looked out at a sea of American flags and notably forlorn faces. She was flanked by 30 American flags.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Stocks

Markets Surge Post-Election: Is It Time to Go All-In?

When major shifts happen in the market, such as the one we’re seeing the morning after the election, how can you analyze investor sentiment shifts and adapt your strategy to align with where money will likely flow in the coming weeks and months?

If you checked the markets on Wednesday morning, post-election, you woke up to several remarkable events:

The stock market shot up to a record high, with the Dow jumping 1,300 points and the Russell 2000 soaring as high as 4%.The yield on the US 10-year bond surged 4.48%, indicating expectations of economic growth and wider deficits.The US dollar rose the most since 2020 while foreign currencies sank.Gold prices stabilized, though they were down nearly 2% from the metal’s October high.Silver, attempting to stabilize as well, remains down a whopping 7% from its October high.

The big question: Do these shifts signal a confident pivot to “risk-on,” or is the market’s optimism overextended?

Price action will tell you directly what investors are expecting out of the markets in the near-to-intermediate term, but to get an even clearer picture, it’s best to analyze the undercurrents driving market sentiment. Perhaps there, you’ll see what most investors looking at price action or following the news cannot.

A Look at Safe Havens vs. Equities

Since the focus here is on “risk on vs. risk off” sentiment, let’s compare two safe havens, gold ($GOLD) and silver ($SILVER), to the S&P 500 ($SPX).

FIGURE 1. COMPARATIVE CHARTS OF GOLD, SILVER, AND THE S&P 500. All three declined since October, but the S&P jumped following Tuesday’s election. Chart source: StockChartsACP. For educational purposes.

While gold and silver’s uptrend are still intact, with silver showing more weakness than gold, the S&P 500 shows a positive jolt in money flow compared to the defensive monetary metals. This picture also tells us that market sentiment, at least for the moment, favors economic growth prospects over fears of potential tariff-driven headwinds.

The flow into domestic equities and the outflow from international currencies, likely in anticipation of increased tariff activity, are most evident in the forex market, where the US dollar index (UUP as a proxy) rose higher while the $EURUSD dropped following the election.

FIGURE 2. COMPARATIVE CHART OF THE DOLLAR INDEX VS EURUSD. Money could be flowing from international currencies and into US stocks due to tariff fears.Chart source: StockChartsACP. For educational purposes.

Still, we need to take a closer look at market sentiment from a level deeper than what we can see on the surface. Let’s shift to a daily chart of the S&P 500.

FIGURE 3. CHART OF THE S&P 500. The two sentiment indicators based on surveys of investors and professional money managers show that investors are cautious, whereas the institutions are bullish.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Before you look at the price action, note the two sentiment indicators below the chart. Both are weekly surveys.

The first indicator—the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) index (!AAIIBULL)—is a survey of members who represent the individual or “retail” crowd. The survey simply asks whether they’re bullish, bearish, or neutral. A reading over 50% means that 50% or more members are bullish on the markets.  Right now, 39.50% of the members are bullish, down from 50% in October, while bearish sentiment has risen to 30.90% (from just under 20% last month). If you were to use this indicator as a contrarian, the current signal tells you that investors are, at best, cautiously optimistic leading up to election day. It’ll be interesting to see how this changes in the coming days when the new levels are reported.

The second indicator—National Association of Active Investment Managers (NAAIM) index (!NAAIM)—reflects the average exposure of professional money managers (the institutional ‘smart money’) to U.S. equity markets. Basically, its members report their equity exposure. Like the AAII index, contrarians look for readings near 100 as a sign of possible distribution (and readings close to 10% as a sign of possible accumulation). Currently, with 82% of managers holding equity exposure, it’s a bullish signal, though not too bullish as to indicate euphoria.

The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF), a momentum indicator, has dipped below the zero line, meaning that selling pressure has overtaken buying pressure. This suggests a pullback is likely, though, given the post-election uncertainty, you’d have to watch the markets closely to see what it does.

The market is generally bullish but not by any means euphoric. The breakaway price gap you see on the chart is a very bullish pattern that, historically at least, can continue for days without the gap getting filled. With that said, potential support following a pullback will have to be measured once the pullback finally occurs (which isn’t now). But, if the near-term trend is indeed strong, expect price to remain above the support level at roughly the $5,688 range, which is also a critical swing low and support for the current trend.

In short, market sentiment is leaning toward a cautious risk-on sentiment. And despite money flow hinting at a pullback, based on the indicators, that’s likely an opportunity for accumulation rather than distribution.

At the Close

Post-election, investors appear to be leaning toward the “risk-on” vibe. Big players keep a solid equity exposure, while retail investors are more measured but still bullish. While the market’s upbeat, it’s by no means euphoric—yet. So, closely watch those support levels, sentiment indicators, and price action (namely, any pullback when it occurs) to see if this cautious optimism sticks or fades.

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

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NFL trade deadline winners, losers: Which teams struck out?

For the NFL’s 32 teams, Tuesday was Election Day – i.e. electing whether or not to make a move ahead of the league’s 4 p.m. ET cutoff to execute trades for the 2024 season. Predictably, several clubs sat out the event entirely, while others rendered their decision(s) well in advance.

There wasn’t a flood of marquee talent changing addresses over the final 24 hours – most of the available stars had already moved ahead of Week 9’s games – yet there was a fair amount of significant activity on the last day to tweak rosters, the potential future additions of free agents notwithstanding.

Who got better? Who didn’t? With all precincts now reporting, here are the winners and losers from this year’s trade deadline:

WINNERS

Liberated wide receivers

Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins, Diontae Johnson and Mike Williams all moved on from suboptimal situations, at least from their personal perspectives – though Adams supplanting Williams with the New York Jets tells you something about how things have unfolded there. However if the NYJ continue to gain altitude, it’s certainly possible all of these players wind up in the playoffs – and Hopkins’ two-TD breakout Monday night for the Kansas City Chiefs suggests he could be the biggest difference-maker of all to switch teams midstream this season.

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Andy Reid

The coach’s undefeated, two-time-defending Super Bowl champions have had their issues – including injuries to WR Rashee Rice and RB Isiah Pacheco, to say nothing of somewhat underwhelming production from an offense that ranks 10th in points scored and yards gained. Did we mention K.C. is 8-0? And in addition to acquiring Hopkins and LB Joshua Uche, signing RB Kareem Hunt has had a huge effect. Props to Reid and GM Brett Veach for making it all work in the ongoing quest for the first-ever Super Bowl three-peat.

Russell Wilson

Recently installed as QB1 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he’s definitely injected life into the passing attack of the AFC North leaders. Tuesday, GM Omar Khan brought in Williams, a 6-4, 218-pounder who could be a much better fit in this scheme than in the Jets’ – and the kind of big body who could benefit from the 50-50 balls Wilson willingly lofts to his receivers on the boundaries. Only a year removed from ACL reconstruction, Williams might not exactly be ready to draw coverage from WR1 George Pickens, but he does offer a needed alternative to Wilson’s arsenal.

Joe Douglas

There’s no denying the results in the standings haven’t been reflective of the level of talent the Jets general manager has amassed in recent years, and it remains to be seen if he’s in his final months on the job. But to pry a fifth-rounder from Khan in exchange for nine regular-season games with Williams, who’s on an expiring deal, seems like something of a coup – especially given, for example, Hopkins only cost Kansas City a conditional Round 5 selection.

Adam Peters

The Washington Commanders’ rookie general manager let go of a third- and fourth-round pick, among other draft capital changing hands, but that might wind up a bargain given the exchange with the New Orleans Saints for Pro Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore, who’s under contract for two seasons beyond this one. Seems like a forward-looking move given the regularity with which Peters’ ascending squad face receivers the caliber of Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown, Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb and the Giants’ Malik Nabers … to say nothing of the lurking potential playoff problems in Detroit, Atlanta and San Francisco. Nice move by an up-and-coming personnel guy who leveraged his stockpile of picks to help a team that’s become a contender more quickly than most NFL observers imagined. And to think it’s only been a year since there was a Washington fire sale …

Mike Evans

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ No. 1 receiver should be back from his hamstring soon-ish. More importantly, he can smile knowing the Bucs already faced Washington – meaning it’s going to be a long while before he has to see his longtime nemesis in New Orleans, Lattimore, again.

Za’Darius Smith

The three-time Pro Bowler and owner of 65 career regular-season sacks moves from perhaps the league’s worst team, Cleveland, to maybe its best, Detroit. Lions GM Brad Holmes parted with a pair of Day 3 picks but really needed someone to try and replace injured DE Aidan Hutchinson’s production, if only partially. Currently the NFC’s projected No. 1 seed, the Lions only have five sacks in the three games since Hutchinson broke his leg – and just one over the past two weeks.

Minnesota Vikings

Expectations for this team, at least nationally, were quite muted ahead of what was expected to be a quarterback relay from departed Kirk Cousins to temp Sam Darnold to future co-face of the franchise (with Justin Jefferson) J.J. McCarthy. But not much has gone to plan, from McCarthy’s season-ending knee injury in the preseason to the Vikes’ stunning – at least externally – 5-0 start. But GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah sent a clear signal to the locker room that the organizational expectation is to win, not merely enjoy success in what seemed like a transitional period. LT Cam Robinson was rented from the Jags, perhaps for a fourth-rounder after Christian Darrisaw went down with a knee injury – and that was after a lesser move to bring back RB Cam Akers in a swap with Houston. Have to admire going for it when the battle seems decidedly uphill.

Cincinnati Bengals

The fact that a franchise that rarely engages in player acquisition outside of a draft-and-develop approach swung a deal for backup RB Khalil Herbert also has to buoy a team that’s recovered from an 0-3 start to win four of six. And Herbert, who’s had plenty of explosive plays during his three-plus seasons with the Bears, could make a real difference here after being buried on Chicago’s depth chart.

Lukas Van Ness

The Green Bay Packers’ first-round pick in 2023, the highly regarded pass rusher has five sacks in 26 career games – none of them starts. But Tuesday’s fairly surprising offload of Preston Smith to the Steelers should create a major opportunity for Van Ness to play far more snaps for one of the league’s most opportunistic defenses.

Division leaders

Six of the eight teams currently in first place did something to bolster their respective rosters. The Bills (Cooper), Steelers (Williams, Preston Smith), Chiefs (Hopkins, Uche), Commanders (Lattimore), Lions (Za’Darius Smith) and Cardinals (OLB Baron Browning) all seem at least incrementally better than they were just a week ago. 

Dan Morgan

The Carolina Panthers rookie GM somehow extracted a fourth-round choice as part of the deal with the Dallas Cowboys for underperforming WR Jonathan Mingo, a second-round pick in 2023. (More on this later.)

Baltimore Ravens

They gave up almost nothing in exchange for well-known players like Johnson and former All-Pro CB Tre’Davious White, who came over from the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday afternoon.

LOSERS

Baltimore Ravens

Yet it’s worth wondering how much return they’ll actually reap from a fading player like White or a seemingly extraneous one like Johnson, who wasn’t targeted by QB Lamar Jackson on any of his 17 snaps in Sunday’s Baltimore debut. However, if nothing else, landing Johnson does mean he won’t haunt the Ravens by winding up with another AFC contender. But given pass rush help apparently was available, seems a bit of a miss that GM Eric DeCosta didn’t more aggressively try to upgrade what appears to be his team’s biggest flaw.

Dan Morgan

Conversely, he only got a Round 5 pick and had to surrender a sixth-rounder while jettisoning Johnson – a former Pro Bowler and far more established commodity than Mingo. Given the respective trajectories of Carolina’s and Baltimore’s seasons, this could amount to no more than moving up a dozen spots in the latter part of the draft. Why not hold out a little longer to see if anything better materialized?

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Houston Texans

For example, the current AFC South leaders really could have used a player of Johnson’s caliber – particularly given the obviously exposed deficiency of their passing game in last Thursday’s loss to the Jets, Houston’s first after WR Stefon Diggs’ season-ending ACL tear. Yes, WR Nico Collins is close to returning from a hamstring injury, but it’s worth wondering why GM Nick Caserio – he made so many high-profile moves in the offseason, including the trade for Diggs – didn’t do more to help his team and second-year QB C.J. Stroud keep pace in the AFC arms, er, hands race.

New York Giants

Why is a team languishing at the bottom of the NFC – and pretty obviously continuing its reset in the coming months – holding onto assets like OLB Azeez Ojulari and WR Darius Slayton, who are both on expiring contracts and could probably bring much more long-term value to this team by no longer working for it in the present? If only there were a bonus episode of ‘Hard Knocks’ (Joe Schoen version) to explain the thought process …

Seattle Seahawks

They’ve fallen to last place in the NFC West – after a 3-0 start – despite October trades for LB Ernest Jones IV and DT Roy Robertson-Harris. A belated attempt to find the right players to thrive in rookie HC Mike Macdonald’s defense, or even patch it, has not bolstered a team that’s surrendered at least 26 points in five of the last six seeks while allowing an average of 412 yards over that stretch.

Jerry Jones

Dude. After repeatedly saying for months that you and your team are “all in” on the ’24 campaign – but doing next to nothing to replenish the roster – you pay a premium Tuesday for an unproven player like Mingo … which coincides with the news that Dak Prescott, the franchise quarterback of your – checks notes – 3-5 team is about to be sidelined for at least a month with a bum hamstring? Yes, the Dallas scouting department likely deserves some leeway given the many impactful players this organization has drafted over the years … and maybe they see something in Mingo that no one else does right now. But lighting fourth-round picks on fire doesn’t need to become an annual tradition after the Cowboys did the same thing last year for current third-string QB Trey Lance.

***

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

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5 teams that improved their Super Bowl chances with big trades

The NFL’s 2024 trade deadline has come and gone. There were 18 total trades involving 19 players since Week 1 of the regular season. Which teams improved their Super Bowl chances the most?

The Kansas City Chiefs are aiming to win an historic third straight Super Bowl in a row. They acquired veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and he’s already thriving on his new squad. Not to be out done, the Baltimore Ravens bolstered their high-powered offense adding wideout Diontae Johnson and traded for veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White on defense.

In the NFC, the Detroit Lions made a much-anticipated move when they snagged defensive end Za’Darius Smith from Cleveland.

Three Super Bowl contenders made major trades. USA TODAY Sports lists five teams who improved their Super Bowl chances the most at the NFL trade deadline:

Detroit Lions

Acquired:Za’Darius Smith

Already boasting the top scoring offense in the NFL, the Lions knew they needed to fill their void at defensive end after Aidan Hutchinson sustained a season-ending leg injury, so they went out and acquired Za’Darius Smith, who they coveted.

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The 10-year veteran has experience in the NFC North having played for both the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.

Smith’s generated 26 pressures and five sacks this season. His 26 pressures are 17 more than Detroit’s next best active edge rusher Josh Paschal (9) and his five sacks are more than the team’s active sack leader defensive tackle Alim McNeill (2.5).

Detroit is all in this season. The Lions are off to their best eight-game start since 1956. The franchise has never made a Super Bowl appearance. They are hungry for a Super Bowl.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Acquired: Mike Williams, Preston Smith

The Steelers coveted Williams since he was released by the Chargers. They were in search of a wide receiver as George Pickens is Pittsburgh’s only wideout with over 15 receptions.

Williams and Pickens have potential to form a nice one-two punch on the outside. Russell Wilson is 2-0 with a 111.9 passer rating since being inserted into the starting lineup. Wilson throws a wide receiver-friendly deep ball, which should bode well for Williams. The 6-foot-4 wideout averaged an NFL-high 20.4 yards a reception in 2019. Williams excels at 50-50 balls and has big-play ability but he hasn’t been the same since his season-ending knee injury in 2023. A change of scenery might do the trick.

The Packers decided to go younger at the position as Smith lost snaps in recent weeks. In Pittsburgh, Smith provides the Steelers’ top 10 defense with more depth at outside linebacker behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

Already at 6-2, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is well on his way to an 18th straight season above .500.

Kansas City Chiefs

Acquired: DeAndre Hopkins, Josh Uche

The Chiefs are vying to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. They were depleted at wide receiver due to injuries, so they went out and got Hopkins. How’s he doing in Kansas City? Well, he compiled eight catches, 86 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his first home game at Arrowhead. He’s had a seamless transition with the Chiefs and is already performing like the team’s No. 1 wide receiver.

Generating pressure from a player outside of Chris Jones is imperative. Uche will be asked to be a situational pass rusher. He tallied a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2022. If Uche can rekindle his 2022 success, the Chiefs’ top-five defense got a steal.

Washington Commanders

Acquired: Marshon Lattimore

The Commanders were absent of a No. 1 cornerback. Lattimore immediately becomes Washington’s best cover corner. He’s been targeted on just 9.7% of his coverage snaps, the second-lowest among outside cornerbacks and he’s allowed below a 65% completion percentage for seven straight seasons

Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels told USA TODAY Sports in July that he hoped to “shift the culture” on the Commanders. He’s stayed true to is word this far. The Commanders have become a desirable location for players and the team understands they have a chance to earn a playoff berth for the first time since the 2020 season.

Baltimore Ravens

Acquired: Diontae Johnson, Tre’Davious White

The Ravens had the NFL’s No. 1 ranked total offense and top ranked rushing offense before they acquired Johnson. Johnson is almost a luxury piece for Baltimore. He is a crisp route runner who can separate.

Zay Flowers has blossomed into Baltimore’s top wideout, while Rashod Bateman is a capable secondary receiver. The two receivers rank in the top 30 in receiving yards. Johnson supplies Baltimore with more playmaking. And that’s not even mentioning Derrick Henry and the Ravens’ dominant rushing attack.

Lamar Jackson has a plethora of talent around him in what’s turning out to be another MVP-caliber campaign.  

The Rams and White mutually agreed to part ways after he fell down Los Angeles’ depth chart. White is not the Pro Bowl corner he once was in Buffalo, but it’s a win for the Ravens if he can play meaningful productive snaps.

The Ravens have dealt with multiple injuries to their secondary.   

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

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Jason, Travis Kelce address Penn State phone incident on podcast

Former All-Pro center Jason Kelce on Wednesday used his popular podcast to express his regret for an altercation over the weekend on the campus of Penn State.

In an incident that was caught on video, Kelce responded to a heckler calling his brother Travis a homophobic slur by grabbing the heckler’s phone and slamming it on the ground.

On the latest episode of their ‘New Heights’ podcast, Jason called it ‘a really stupid situation’ that quickly got out of hand.

‘Me reacting gave him the time of day and it also gave the situation notoriety,’ he said. ‘I know now that I shouldn’t have done it because now there’s a video out there with me saying that word, him saying that word and it’s not good for anybody.’

Kelce was in State College, Pennsylvania, on Saturday for ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ and was interacting with fans when one used a homophobic slur in reference to his brother dating Taylor Swift.

Penn State University Police and Public Safety is investigating the incident.

Kelce admitted his actions went ‘over the line’ as he grabbed the fan’s phone and spiked it on the ground. On the video, Kelce could be heard saying, ‘Who’s the (expletive) now?’

He said repeating the slur was a mistake because ‘it just perpetuates more hate.’

On the podcast, brother Travis struck an understanding tone.

‘You reacted in a way that was defending your family, and you might’ve used some words that you regret using,’ he said. ‘And that’s a situation you’ve just got to learn from and own. I think you owning it and you speaking about it shows how sincere you are to a lot of people in this world. … You don’t choose hate, that’s just not who you are. I love you brother, I think you said that perfectly.’

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The 10 players you need to acquire in fantasy football

In fantasy land, trade winds are still blowing.

While the real NFL’s trade deadline came to pass without too much incident before turning the page to Week 10, fantasy leagues don’t often have the same outcome. If they have one, most leagues set their trade deadline for sometime within the first three weeks of November.

That leaves fantasy managers without much time to poach players from their league’s bottom dwellers. Impactful fantasy players are littered all over teams that are down on their luck. While you shouldn’t lowball teams in your league, perhaps there is a discount to be had with them already out of the race.

Just like real life general managers, relationships can be a determining factor in whether a deal gets done. Being able to successfully navigate the trade market can catapult your team to becoming the ultimate contender.

Here are 10 players that you should look to acquire before the deadline in your league passes:

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Fantasy football trade targets

Nico Collins

If Collins is on a team that doesn’t have any playoff hopes left, then move whatever you can, within reason, to acquire the receiver. Before his injury, Houston’s star wideout was in the conversation for being the best at the position. Instead he’s only tumbled down the rankings after a stint on IR, but could return in Week 10 if the team believes he’s ready.

The Texans’ passing attack has suffered without Collins and C.J. Stroud will be happy to have him back in the fold. Collins can transform this offense and immediately comes off the fantasy trade market when he returns to game action. That means this is likely your last chance to make a blockbuster move for a player that should pick up right where they left off.

George Pickens

The numbers aren’t necessarily pretty for Pickens in 2024. Don’t be fooled, however, as we’ll buy stock in the Pittsburgh receiver. The Steelers have been able to move the ball more effectively through the air since making the quarterback change to Russell Wilson. He can be a boom-or-bust player, but it’s important to factor in that this is a player that has fallen victim to penalties and the replay system. With two touchdowns coming off the board in the team’s Week 8 win over the Giants, it’s safe the say the outlook would be much different if those plays had a different outcome.

Pittsburgh’s offense can be infuriating, but Pickens’ target share remains steady at around 28 percent and that jumps to nearly 38 percent in the red zone. A frustrated fantasy manager could be willing to cut bait, so there’s a chance he can be had for a discount. After the Steelers’ trade for Mike Williams, that should only help open things up for Pickens and improve his fantasy outlook.

Garrett Wilson

The Jets are a hard team to stomach this season and every fantasy team should be afforded a season-long supply of Pepto Bismol for enduring it. However, it’s important to note that we’re interested in Wilson’s production, not the final score or the Jets’ record. That’s where our outlook begins to change.

Following an underwhelming start to the season through four weeks, Wilson has picked up his game and turned in five straight double digit fantasy performances in PPR formats. He’s found the end zone four times in that span, developing a connection with Aaron Rodgers. Even the arrival of Davante Adams hasn’t changed that reality, with Wilson’s outlook only ticking up because of their thin receiving core. While the window to buy Wilson has likely closed, it’s worth checking in.

Tyrone Tracy Jr.

The Giants officially turned the page on Devin Singletary, handing the backfield keys to Tracy moving forward. The rookie has does nothing but perform ever since, with at least 16 carries in four of the last five games. Tracy comes with rushing and receiving upside, only adding to his value. The Giants offense won’t be confused with the league’s best anytime soon, but Tracy has all the key things you’re looking for in fantasy – workload, opportunity and production.

New York has the sixth most favorable schedule to running backs for the rest of the season, according to Fantasy Pros. Tracy doesn’t have a lot of name recognition or a proven track record, meaning you can likely pry him from a skeptical fantasy manager.

Christian McCaffrey

The situation with McCaffrey is well-documented by now, but you have to at least check in. The star running back likely went with the first or second pick in your draft and the team that rosters him is probably on the outside looking in at the playoff picture.

With his return seemingly on the horizon, this is a good chance to try and add one of fantasy’s best assets to your team. Of course, McCaffrey won’t be available if that team also rosters Jordan Mason. It’s also worth noting that a panicked team probably already dealt him. A trade for McCaffrey at this stage does come with plenty of risk, however. Regardless, if the stars align in your league, this could be the move that puts you over the top.

Cedric Tillman

After a mostly quiet season, Tillman has burst onto the fantasy scene following the Browns’ decision to trade Amari Cooper. Suddenly asked to step up, Tillman has answered the call. He’s averaging 85 receiving yards, 10.7 targets, seven receptions and a touchdown per game since Cooper’s departure.

Deshaun Watson is done for the season with a ruptured Achilles and the transition to Jameis Winston has helped to somewhat resurrect a previously nonexistent Cleveland passing attack. Tillman is the top pass-catching option and that makes him a player to target.

T.J. Hockenson

Hockenson didn’t post the best numbers in his return from injury, but the signs were promising moving forward. The Vikings’ offense is a fun one to watch and is capable of supporting multiple players for fantasy purposes. Hockenson’s return marks a big upgrade for Kevin O’Connell’s team and he should only improve with more reps.

Despite finishing with just three catches for 27 yards, it’s worth noting that Hockenson’s day would’ve been much better if he was able to convert his one red zone target that was ultimately intercepted. At a thin tight end position, it doesn’t hurt to take a flier on a player that would be viewed much differently if he scored in his return.

Cade Otton

As the Buccaneers deal with injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, it’s been Otton that has stepped up to become Tampa’s top receiving option. Otton has likely spent a good majority of the season on waivers, but is certainly a must-start in fantasy leagues going forward. His trade availability depends mostly on whether your league mate views this as something that’s sustainable beyond this short stretch.

With at least 10 targets in each of the last three games, Otton has made the most of his opportunity, averaging 8.3 receptions, 86 receiving yards and a touchdown in that span. Just like Hockenson, it’s worth checking in on the Buccaneers’ tight end.

Josh Downs

Making the switch to Joe Flacco is considered to be a benefit for Colts’ pass-catchers. While we won’t know the true impact until we see a larger sample size, we can conclude that Flacco’s presence is a major boost to Downs. The receiver profiles as Indianapolis’ top option, averaging just under 10 targets per game with the veteran under center.

We know that Flacco has a tendency to lock in on one target as evidenced by David Njoku’s run with the Browns in 2023. Downs is clearly that player for Flacco this year. While Michael Pittman Jr. fades, it’s Downs that looks to be the emerging star. Out of anyone in the Colts’ offense, Downs is the player to target.

Jonathan Brooks

In comes Brooks and out goes Chuba Hubbard. The Panthers are finally getting a chance to see what their rookie running back is capable of after drafting him in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft. Brooks has missed the first nine weeks thanks to the torn ACL he suffered in his final season of college, but should see plenty of opportunity now that he’s healthy.

Carolina is firmly in rebuild mode and with Hubbard set to hit free agency, it makes sense for Brooks to get a serious look before the season ends. Hubbard has been one of the lone bright spots for a horrible Panthers team, but Brooks is the future, at least on paper. If you’re in the market for a running back, consider making a play for Brooks before he gets into a game.

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Politics

Harris formally concedes one day after Trump’s sweeping victory

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris, in her first public comments since losing the 2024 White House race to former President Trump, urged supporters to ‘accept the results.’ 

But Harris on Wednesday afternoon emphasized that ‘while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.’

The vice president spoke at Howard University, her alma mater, where her campaign held a large election night watch party. Harris never addressed the crowd on Tuesday night, as initial optimism about the election turned dour as the clock struck past midnight.

Trump ended up winning a sweeping electoral and popular vote victory over Harris, as Republicans won back the Senate for the first time in four years. Meanwhile, control of the House was still up for grabs on the day after the election.

The vice president, who walked to the podium one last time to Beyonce’s ‘Freedom,’ the song that had become Harris’ unofficial anthem, noted near the top of her roughly 12-minute address that ‘my heart is full today.’

‘The outcome of this election is not what we hoped, not what we fought, not what we voted for,’ she said. ‘But hear when I say… the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.’

The vice president also seemed to take aim at Trump, who for four years has blamed his 2020 White House loss to President Biden on unproven claims of a ‘rigged election’ and who repeatedly tried unsuccessfully to overturn the results. 

‘Earlier today I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory,’ Harris said. ‘I also told him we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.’

She emphasized that ‘a fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results… anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it.’

The vice president also stressed that ‘we owe loyalty not to a president or a party but to the Constitution of the United States.’

Harris, a former San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general and U.S. senator, ran unsuccessfully for the 2020 presidential nomination. But Biden named his primary rival as his running mate and the two have spent the past four years steering the nation.

Harris, for most of the 2024 election cycle, was the dutiful running mate as Biden bid for a second four-year term in the White House.

But everything changed in late June, due to Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Trump.

The 81-year-old Biden’s halting and stumbling delivery fueled questions about his physical and mental ability to serve another four years in the White House. And it sparked calls from within the Democratic Party for Biden to drop out of the White House race.

The president finally succumbed to the pressure and on July 21, in a blockbuster announcement that rocked the 2024 election, Biden ended his bid and endorsed his vice president.

The Democratic Party quickly coalesced around Harris, who instantly enjoyed a jump in the polls and a massive surge in fundraising.

The Harris honeymoon continued through the late August Democratic National Convention and into September, when most pundits declared her the winner of the one and only presidential debate between her and Trump. 

But as the calendar moved from September into October, Trump appeared to regain his footing, and public opinion surveys indicated the former president gaining momentum. 

Then, in the final days of the campaign, the mood and the vibe appeared to switch again, this time to Harris, who closed out her White House bid on a positive note and didn’t mention Trump’s name during the last 48 hours leading up to Election Day. 

Meanwhile, Trump struck a more negative and angrier tone on the campaign trail as he crisscrossed the key battleground states in the stretch run.

Harris, in her concession speech on Wednesday, appeared to paint a contrast with Trump.

‘I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran … over the 107 days of this campaign,’ Harris said. ‘We have been intentional about building community and building coalitions, bringing people together.’

But the former president ended up with a sweeping victory, as Americans returned him to the White House.

Preliminary data from the Fox News Voter Analysis of the 2024 election pointed to a political realignment, as it spotlighted that Trump ran up the score with his MAGA base while narrowing traditional Democratic advantages among Black, Hispanic and young voters. 

Harris came close in her bid to become the first woman elected to the presidency, but was unable to make enough gains in the ideological middle of the electorate to offset defections among groups that traditionally vote Democratic. 

The Fox News Voter Analysis is a survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide which highlights the 2024 campaign’s key dynamics. 

Just as damaging: Harris wasn’t able to escape the massive unpopularity of the Biden/Harris administration, where polls indicated that nearly three quarters of voters said the country was on the wrong track.

The Fox News Voter Analysis spotlighted that in an election where voters across the nation wanted change, they chose Trump’s outsider appeal over Harris’ promise to ‘turn the page’ on the Trump era. 

Fox News’ Dana Blanton and Victoria Balara contributed to this report

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Stocks

It’s GAME ON for These Stocks

In this exclusive StockCharts video, Joe shows a specific trade setup in multiple timeframes that identifies the start of an important trend. He explains the 4 keys to this setup and shows 5 examples of stocks meeting the criteria right now. Joe then covers numerous indices, commodities, 10-year Rates, and Bitcoin, and how they are reacting to the election. Finally, he goes through the symbol requests that came through this week, including AMZN, AAPL, and more.

This video was originally published on November 6, 2024. Click this link to watch on StockCharts TV.

Archived videos from Joe are available at this link. Send symbol requests to stocktalk@stockcharts.com; you can also submit a request in the comments section below the video on YouTube. Symbol Requests can be sent in throughout the week prior to the next show.

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Stocks

The SCTR Report: What Coinbase’s Dramatic Price Surge Means For Your Portfolio

Now that election uncertainty is over, the stock market broke out of its sideways trading range and continued higher. Potential policy implementations benefit some asset classes, such as cryptocurrencies, which could operate in a more relaxed regulatory environment.

Coinbase Global Inc. (COIN), a crypto-related stock, made it to the top of the Top Up Large Cap stocks in the StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR) Reports on Wednesday, the day after the US elections.

FIGURE 1. COINBASE IN TOP POSITION. A 65.7 rise in the SCTR score is an impressive one day jump.Image source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The weekly chart of Coinbase stock shows a series of lower highs and lower lows from March 2024. COIN has broken above the upper channel line, but it’s just the beginning. More momentum needs to be behind Coinbase’s stock price to see follow-through in this movement.

FIGURE 2. WEEKLY CHART OF COINBASE. Since March 2024, COIN has been consolidating. With Wednesday’s price action, the stock price broke through the upper channel of the consolidation pattern.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The daily chart (see below) shows that the uptrend has started. Coinbase’s stock price gapped up and closed near its daily high on strong volume.

FIGURE 3. DAILY CHART OF COINBASE. Wednesday’s gap up in COIN is encouraging. Will there be enough momentum for a follow-through? Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

COIN is trading above its 21-day exponential moving average (EMA), its SCTR score crossed over 76, and its relative strength index (RSI) is getting close to the 70 level.

When To Buy COIN

I would look at the weekly chart to identify the entry point. Since COIN has broken out of its downward channel, an ideal scenario would be if the stock price pulled back a bit and reversed, at which point I would look for an entry point at around $250. The RSI should also be greater than 70. The first resistance level to watch for would be around $265, a previous high. If COIN pushes through that level, the next level would be $280. It could go even higher if the momentum is behind it. COIN’s all-time high is $429.54.

If owning shares of Coinbase is a stretch at current price levels and you have signed up for the OptionsPlay Add-on, consider trading options on the stock. Below the chart, under Tools & Resources, click on Options, then the OptionsPlay button.

FIGURE 4. OPTIONS STRATEGIES TO TRADE COINBASE. You can see up to three optimal options strategies depending on your directional bias and implied volatility.Image source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

By default, three strategies will be displayed for a bullish scenario. In the screenshot above, the Jan 17 250/340 call vertical has a relatively decent reward for a max risk of $2,600. Click the expand icon at the top right to see more details.

The stock trend doesn’t meet this trade’s requirements. You could modify the legs to see if another strike price or expiration will meet the trend requirement. Another option is to close this window and try out a bearish or high implied volatility environment to see if you get a more optimal strategy.

FIGURE 5. CALL VERTICAL DETAILS. You can get more granularity for the call vertical when you click the expand icon. All except stock trend checks off in the strategy checklist.Image source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Once you’ve found a strategy you’re comfortable trading, click the Trade button and copy the trade to your trading platform if you have an options-enabled trading account.

The Bottom Line

Coinbase stock has the potential to rise higher, but a one-day jump in price shouldn’t be your entry criteria. You must still analyze the chart and decide on an entry and exit point that works for your risk tolerance level. Add COIN to your ChartLists and, if possible, set an alert for an entry point. Once you have a position open, follow smart risk management strategies and be prepared to exit a position once it has crossed your exit threshold. You never lose money when taking profits early.

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

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Sports

Podcast: College Football Playoff rankings reaction and Week 11 predictions

The first College Football Playoff rankings are out, and there’s a lot to digest as we start the new era of a 12 teams making the field. Oregon led the field but the interesting storylines were what happened after the Ducks and further down the top 25 released by the committee.

The SEC led with the most teams, but the Big Ten also had four teams in the projected playoff field. Both leagues are set up to dominate the field. There were some odd choices among them. Was Indiana too low? Was Penn State and Tennessee too high? And what about unbeaten Brigham Young that is No. 9 despite two wins among teams in the top 20?

Looking ahead to Week 11, we anticipate many changes to next week’s release with a schedule that features two SEC showdowns. Georgia travels to Mississippi, and LSU hosts Alabama. How will those games shake out and what other games could impact the playoff?

Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports discuss these topics and more in this week’s version of the College Football Fix.

HIGHS AND LOWS: Winners and losers from the first CFP rankings

MAJOR CRUSH: Playoff committee favors Big Ten, while neglecting BYU

BEST TO BE THIRD?: Is missing the conference title game preferred for some?

CALM DOWN: The five biggest Week 10 overreactions assess the playoff

RE-RANK: Ohio State passes Georgia for No. 2 spot in the NCAA 1-134

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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