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2025 World Series odds: Dodgers, Yankees among favorites

The Los Angeles Dodgers are your 2024 World Series champions! It took five games to do it, but thanks to the heroics of Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman, and the team’s stout bullpen, the Dodgers managed to claim their second championship in five years.

The Dodgers accomplished this feat despite a myriad of injuries plaguing their team. From Clayton Kershaw to Tyler Glasnow to Dustin May to Tony Gonsolin, the Dodgers never seemed to be at full strength this year, but that didn’t stop them from blowing through the postseason.

But that begs the question: ‘How good could this team be at full strength?’ It’s a scary thought for the rest of the league. The Dodgers have the talent, the funds, and the farm system to be the best team in baseball for years down the road. After all, their championship window has been open for more than a decade at this point already. But are they the favorites to win in 2025?

Although the 2024 season just ended, here are the favorites to win the 2025 World Series.

2025 World Series odds:

*All odds via FanDuel

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

The favorites:

Los Angeles Dodgers (+400)
New York Yankees (+750)
Atlanta Braves (+800)
Philadelphia Phillies (+1000)
Baltimore Orioles (+1100)
Houston Astros (+1200)
New York Mets (+1200)

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites yet again, and rightfully so. The best bet elsewhere on this list is the Baltimore Orioles. While the Yankees could very well lose Juan Soto this offseason, the only players the Orioles are seriously in danger of losing are Ryan O’Hearn, Anthony Santander, and John Means. Those are impact players, undoubtedly, but odds are the Orioles will be able to re-sign at least one of them. And the loss of the other two is likely smaller than if the Yankees were to lose Soto. That gives the Orioles a very good chance to take the AL East title in 2025.

The contenders:

San Diego Padres (+1500)
Cleveland Guardians (+2500)
Chicago Cubs (+2500)
Texas Rangers (+2500)
Seattle Mariners (+2500)
Arizona Diamondbacks (+3000)
Minnesota Twins (+3000)
Detroit Tigers (+4000)
Milwaukee Brewers (+4000)
Boston Red Sox (+4000)

The Milwaukee Brewers have proven time and time again that they are a top-tier MLB franchise. They’ve reached the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons. Outside of the Padres and Guardians in this tier, there aren’t any other teams that can practically guarantee a spot in the postseason. With that said, at +4000 odds, the Brewers offer a much better payout than the other two.

The dark horses:

Kansas City Royals (+4500)
Tampa Bay Rays (+5000)
San Francisco Giants (+5500)
Cincinnati Reds (+6000)
St. Louis Cardinals (+6000)
Toronto Blue Jays (+7000)

The Kansas City Royals are the obvious pick of this group, but the San Francisco Giants could be a sneaky pick as well. The team has a very balanced offense, assuming Tyler Fitzgerald and Heliot Ramos can maintain their success from 2024 moving forward, and one of the best rotations in baseball. There is certainly work to be done, especially on the offensive side, but there are pieces in place that could make this team dangerous if they can land a strong free agent or two.

The longshots:

Pittsburgh Pirates (+10000)
Washington Nationals (+15000)
Athletics (+15000)
Los Angeles Angels (+25000)
Miami Marlins (+30000)
Colorado Rockies (+50000)
Chicago White Sox (+50000)

You would have to be delusional to bet on any of these teams to win the World Series a year from now. So, if you are going to be delusional, you might as well go all-in. Why not bet on the Rockies or White Sox?

How fun would that be, to bet on a team that no one thinks can get it done? And think about how smart you’d look if you got that wager hit. You’d be filthy rich and be the talk of your town.

Don’t do it, but think about the possibilities.

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Everything to know about Week 9 ‘Thursday Night Football’ matchup

The ‘Thursday Night Football’ schedule has been packed with divisional matchups, but last week, we witnessed an exciting clash between NFC opponents. Week 9 presents an intriguing AFC showdown.

The Houston Texans will meet the New York Jets in Week 9 at MetLife Stadium.

Houston (6-2) is off to a terrific start and sits at the top of the AFC South standings, while the Jets (2-6) come into the game fighting to stay in contention. New York is amid another tumultuous season, but with the fourth easiest strength of schedule remaining, the window is not completely shut.

Here’s everything to know about the ‘Thursday Night Football’ matchup for Week 9.

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

Who plays on ‘Thursday Night Football’ tonight?

Matchup: Houston Texans at New York Jets
Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.

The Texans head to the East Coast on Thursday night to take on the Jets.

How to watch Thursday Night Football

Live stream: Amazon Prime Video
TV channel: Fox 5 (New York market) | Fox 26 (Houston market)

‘Thursday Night Football’ will exclusively stream on Amazon Prime Video. Al Michaels (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color commentary), and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter) will be on the call for Amazon’s broadcast.

Watch’Thursday Night Football’with a Prime Video subscription

Thursday Night Football preview

The Jets’ season has quickly taken a turn for the worse. ‘Gang Green’ has dropped five consecutive games, including three since they fired head coach Robert Saleh. This ‘TNF’ matchup is fitting for Halloween because the Jets’ situation is currently dark and spooky.

Conversely, the Texans have lived up to preseason expectations to this point. Houston comes into this clash off an important 23-20 win at home over the Indianapolis Colts. They find themselves in the driver’s seat in the AFC South as we near the regular season’s halfway point.Meanwhile, the Jets are coming into Week 9 after a brutal 25-22 loss against the New England Patriots. The Jets became the first team in NFL history to score at least 20 points, have no turnovers on offense, and allow fewer than 250 total yards in a game and lose. Previous teams in that scenario had gone 750-0.

The Jets defense returned multiple starters last week. Haason Reddick has ended his holdout, and Michael Carter II and D.J. Reed are back in the secondary. According to FTN, the Jets’ defense currently ranks 20th in defensive DVOA after finishing third in the NFL last season.

The Texans’ defense has been terrific, ranking eighth in defensive EPA per play and first in defensive success rate. Houston has held four of its last five opponents to 21 points or fewer and is second in defensive DVOA entering Week 9.

The Texans’ running game, spearheaded by Joe Mixon, will look to continue producing on the ground. Mixon has played in four games without injury this season and has dominated in each. He is averaging a career-high 4.9 yards per carry. The 28-year-old running back has scored in all four healthy games. The Jets have allowed the 10th-most rushing yards to opponents.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will be without his top two receiving weapons: Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs. Collins has been on injured reserve since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 5, and Diggs went down with a non-contact knee injury on Sunday against the Colts.

The Jets will be hungry to return to the win column for the first time since Week 3.

This will be the third game since the Jets acquired Davante Adams in a trade with the Raiders and his first at home in front of the Jets’ flight crew. The Jets have supplied Aaron Rodgers with plenty of firepower and pushed all their chips in. The chemistry on the field between Rodgers and Adams is undeniable. They played eight seasons together with the Packers. In his last three healthy seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay, Adams finished with at least 100 receptions, 1,000 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

The Jets offense has young stars like running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Slowing down this unit will be a tough task for DeMeco Ryans and the Texans.

The Texans are in the midst of an excellent season, but the Jets are fighting for their season on Thursday night.

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Fan interference can get you ejected. Here’s what else will get you banned.

Sporting fans pay top dollar to be up close and personal to the action, but high ticket prices doesn’t buy spectators the right to detract from or interfere with the game.

That’s exactly what happened during Game 4 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Two Yankees fans were ejected for fan interference after prying the ball out of Mookie Betts’ glove on a foul pop fly down the right field line.

The fans were banned from Game 5 of the World Series in New York for their ‘egregious and unacceptable’ behavior.

There are many instances where fandom can veer into unruly territory. Here’s a list of unacceptable offenses that can get you ejected and potentially banned from a professional sports venue:

Going on the field/court

Entering the field of play is a big no-no. Whether a fan chooses to streak or stage a protest, interrupting game play by going on a sporting field or court is automatic grounds for ejection and often times criminal charges — it is trespassing after all.

Two shirtless fans were ejected and arrested after running onto the field at Super Bowl 58 between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas. They each were charged with prohibited conduct at an athletic event, a misdemeanor. 

In October 2022, an animal rights protester ran across the field at Levi’s Stadium with a pink flare during a ‘Monday Night Football’ game between the Los Angeles Rams and 49ers. The protester evaded security guards until he was leveled by linebacker Bobby Wagner and defensive end Takkarist McKinley. The fans were removed afterward.

‘There’s consequences for your actions,’ Wagner said.

In April 2022, another animal rights activist was removed during an NBA playoff game between the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves after running onto the court in the middle of a play at Minnesota’s Target Center. She was immediately tackled on the court by security and dragged off. 

Throwing objects

Fans are allowed to shower their favorite sports teams with cheers, but that’s about it. Throwing anything else is a surefire way to make an early exit. The MLB’s Fan Code of Conduct strictly prohibits ‘interference with the progress of the game, including throwing objects onto the field.’ The NBA, NHL and many other leagues have similar rules. NHL fans often throw hats on the ice for a player’s hat trick (three goals) but other objects are banned.

In May 2021, a Celtics fan was arrested for assault and battery with a deadly weapon for throwing a water bottle at Kyrie Irving following a NBA playoff game in Boston. There were multiple fan incidents in the NBA that month. The New York Knicks announced that a fan was banned from Madison Square Garden for spitting on Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young as he inbounded the ball during a first-round playoff game against the Knicks. The Philadelphia 76ers also handed down a lifetime ban to a fan who dumped popcorn on Russell Westbrook’s head.

‘The amount of disrespect, the amount of fans just doing whatever the (expletive) they want to do — it’s just out of pocket,’ Westbrook said. ‘There are certain things that cross the line. Any other setting … a guy were to come up on the street and pour popcorn on my head, you know what happens.’

Earlier this month, the SEC fined the University of Texas $250,000 after the Longhorns’ matchup against Georgia was briefly delayed when Texas students threw trash and debris onto the field at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium following a controversial call. The SEC said the fine was levied ‘interrupting the competitive opportunity for both teams and endangering contest participants.’ 

Abusive language

Foul, derogatory or abusive language and obscene gestures are prohibited at sporting events.

In 2021, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James had two fans ejected from their courtside seats at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis after he said they engaged in behavior ‘outside the line with obscene gestures and words.’ During the Nov. 25 matchup against the Pacers, James demonstratively pointed and gestured at a man and a woman in their first-row seats, resulting in an arena official escorting the fans away.

‘When obscene gestures and language come into it, (it) can’t be tolerated,’ James said. ‘There’s a difference from cheering for your team and not wanting the other team to win and things I would never say to a fan and they shouldn’t say to me.’

Fighting

Fighting is grounds for an immediate ejection. Social media videos of fans getting into physical altercations with rival fans have flooded the internet in recent years. Fans not only can’t fight among themselves, but they can’t engage in any physical conduct with players.

The most infamous example is the ‘Malice at the Palace’ brawl, when a fight broke out between members of the Indiana Pacers, fans, coaches, personnel and Detroit Pistons players during a November 2004 game in Michigan. The fight started between Pistons and Pacers players following a hard foul. The brawl escalated after a fan threw a beer at Ron Artest (now Metta Sandiford-Artest) as he lounged on the scorer’s table. Artest immediately ran into the stands and confronted a fan he thought responsible and the brawl unleashed, resulting in the suspensions of nine players overall, including five Pacers. Artest was suspended for the remainder of that season and all fans involved in the brawl were banned indefinitely from Pistons games.

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GORDON SONDLAND: I was wrong about Trump and Democrats can’t stand it

Things could, and did, get worse for America after January 6th. I served in the Trump administration but I withdrew my support from the president after that dark day. Four years later, I’m back. And here’s why.The Biden-Harris administration weakened our power, our pocketbooks and our values. After living under this reality for nearly four years, there is no choice: We need former President Donald J. Trump back in the White House. 

I’ve explained my change of heart across the national media from MSNBC to CNN to NPR. Yet instead of considering the content of my argument, most journalists have gone apoplectic about my decision that supporting Republican policies is more important than punishing a former president they loathe. If Vice President Kamala Harris can ‘change her mind’ to soften border enforcement, why can’t someone on the other side of the aisle change his perspective? 

I can’t excuse January 6th or the former president’s lackluster response to that dark day. But our system stood, the riot quelled, and the transfer of power completed. 

Skeptics wonder if there’s some sort of insidious reason behind my stance today. 

They ask: Has he offered me a job? No. Did he blackmail me? No. Do you think he won the 2020 election? No (sadly). Have you lost your moral compass? No. In fact, my moral compass heads due north toward what’s best for our country. 

As the twentieth U.S. ambassador to the European Union, I know and worked closely with Trump. He’s a showman who likes to shock. That’s obvious. What might be less obvious is that he’s also a swift and thoughtful decision maker. He doesn’t hem and haw or, like his opponent, need a script to stay on message.  And unlike the other side, Trump cares about fostering our country’s meritocracy, not mediocrity. He believes competition, not socialism, is best for our society. 

Harris represents a party at odds with this perspective. Indeed, Democrats are staging a strategic assault on our two-party democratic system and pushing policies that will further erode American prestige, pocketbooks and families. Harris has vowed to pack the Supreme Court, eliminate the filibuster, dramatically loosen voter regulations and empower unelected government employees to decide which cars we drive and on which stoves we cook. She wants to police what our children study and how we speak. She says she wouldn’t do anything different from President Joe Biden. That’s troubling at best. 

It means Harris agrees it was smart to withdraw U.S. military forces before civilians from Afghanistan. I guess she’s too young to recall Saigon or wasn’t moved when desperate innocents fell to their deaths from a U.S. aircraft escaping Kabul. It means she believes Biden was right to say that Washington wouldn’t react if Moscow made only a ‘minor incursion’ into Ukraine. Talk about giving green lights to dictators. 

While Trump flatters bad guys in public as a counterintuitive and strategic tactic, no world leader doubts his resolve for America. We need that sort of leadership on the international stage because, thanks to the disastrous Biden-Harris foreign policy, allies and adversaries alike doubt America’s convictions and are confused about our positions. This would be problematic in any era, but especially worrisome in the shadows of a rising China and expansionist Russia. 

At home, Harris turns a blind eye to foreign influence that’s radicalizing our students to hate America. She never discusses the similarities to radicalized Iranian students who installed a fundamentalist government in Tehran that chants ‘death to America’ and sponsors 13 terrorist groups, including Hamas. 

Harris says she ‘understands the emotions’ driving college students who wear keffiyeh and call for the destruction of Jews. Would Harris be so sanguine if Blacks were targeted the way Jews were targeted? While I doubt Harris is truly antisemitic or wants to see the destruction of the State of Israel, her actions don’t live up to that of a strong supporter of Israel or an ally. Her ambition for votes (especially among Arab Americans in Michigan) has moved her dangerously close to Hamas’ agenda.

Harris’ economic stance is equally appalling. She cares more about distributing handouts to illegal immigrants than supporting people like my parents, Holocaust survivors who legally immigrated to the U.S. and opened a dry cleaner where they worked for decades. 

She thinks race should be a qualification for jobs and advantages. Moreover, Harris is part of the administration that used COVID-19 as an excuse to needlessly pump an extra $2 trillion into the economy, thereby ensuring inflation and, in essence, buying votes.

Despite the White House’s denials, anyone who grocery shops knows the cost of living has skyrocketed. Not only among poor people, but among everyone. One friend, a college-educated divorced mother with an enviable white-collar job, forgoes meat herself to buy protein-rich steak for her teenage son. This isn’t the America our families need or want. 

Of course, the Democratic Party decries the importance of family. Harris reflects this demise. She supports old-fashioned entitlement programs and tax codes that encourage men to abandon their families. She opposes religious groups that wish to align business practices with their morals. She encourages immature young people to explore gender-affirming treatments that can’t be reversed in adulthood. 

She routinely supports teachers’ unions that drive anti-student, pro-employee political agendas. In a Harris world, teachers that can’t dispense aspirin without parental consent are punished for telling parents their child is changing sex. 

Taken collectively, the Harris agenda and her alignment with the Democratic base is an order of magnitude more frightening than Donald Trump’s agenda or behavior. This is not a conspiracy theory or fearmongering. 

That’s why, even with all of Trump’s idiosyncrasies and inflammatory style, he is the best option for America. His policies are right. The team will be great. And given the choice, there is no other choice. 

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Watch: Judge’s error kick-starts Yankees meltdown in Game 5

NEW YORK — With ace Gerrit Cole working on a no-hitter and sitting on a five-run lead, the Yankees made three egregious misplays, beginning with a muffed fly ball by center fielder Aaron Judge, and culminating in Cole’s failure to cover first base on a grounder to Anthony Rizzo.

And the always dangerous Dodgers struck for five runs to tie the game 5-5 in the fifth inning of Game 5 at Yankee Stadium.

In one of the most disastrous innings in recent postseason history, the big blows ostensibly were struck by Freddie Freeman, who hit a two-run single, and Teoscar Hernandez, who tied the game with a two-run double. Yet those came with an air of inevitability after the Yankees flung the door wide open. 

First, Judge, who simply muffed a routine fly from Max Muncy for an error after Kiké Hernandez’s leadoff single. Then, an awkward grounder off Will Smith’s bat into the hole, where Anthony Volpe felt his only play was to third. He bounced the throw for an error. 

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

Cole nearly steadied himself and escaped the bases-loaded jam, striking out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani. Then Mookie Betts topped a grounder down the first base line. It spun and hopped and sliced and hooked and Rizzo stayed down instead of charging it. 

Cole did not get off the mound to cover the bag. Betts was safe, it was 5-1 – and moments later, 5-5, all the runs unearned. 

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Jim Jordan says YouTube ‘censored’ Joe Rogan interview with Trump

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is accusing YouTube of potentially repressing former President Trump’s interview with podcast host Joe Rogan.

In a letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pitchai sent late Wednesday, Jordan said the tech giant’s subsidiary ‘appears to have censored the video of Joe Rogan’s recent interview with President Donald Trump.’

‘We write to seek an immediate briefing on (1) YouTube’s decision to censor Joe Rogan’s interview with President Trump; and (2) Google Search’s elevation of material critical of the interview,’ Jordan wrote.

The Ohio Republican cited a New York Post report that said people were having difficulty finding the three-hour interview on YouTube.

‘Recent news coverage reports that ‘search[es] on YouTube using the terms ‘Joe Rogan Trump’ or ‘Joe Rogan Donald Trump’ did not bring up Friday’s three-hour sit-down at the top of the list,’’ the letter said

The report claimed the full interview was also ‘absent’ from YouTube’s trending videos page the following day.

Jordan also said YouTube acknowledged ‘censorship’ of the interview, referring to a statement posted to X earlier this week that read, ‘For some searches on Monday the original 3-hour interview didn’t appear prominently. Short excerpts uploaded by the Joe Rogan channel appeared, but we know it was frustrating for users looking to find the full video.’

‘We’ve worked to resolve this and viewers will begin seeing the full podcast in more YouTube search results soon,’ the statement said.

Jordan wrote in his letter to Alphabet, ‘Americans deserve access to political speech, especially in the closing weeks before an election.’

‘Given the company’s recent history of censorship, including at the behest of the Biden-Harris Administration, YouTube’s censorship of former President Trump is particularly troubling,’ he wrote.

‘Please arrange for this briefing as soon as possible, but no later than 10:00 am on November 14, 2024.’

Republicans have accused Google of censoring speech in the past. Most recently, the attorney general of Missouri said he would investigate the company, though Google called the accusations ‘totally false’ in a statement to Reuters.

As of late Wednesday evening, Rogan’s interview with Trump has over 41 million views on YouTube.

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BRENT BOZELL: The surprising way Donald Trump can win it all against Kamala Harris

The 2024 presidential campaign is perhaps the closest race in modern history. The candidates are in the final stretch, receiving endless advice from the media and their champions who know the slightest bump will carry one or the other to victory.  

I am going to give advice to both.   

First, Vice President Kamala Harris. Media contributors like James Carville and Frank Luntz are hammering Harris to stop with the negative attacks on former President Donald Trump and instead go positive with her closing argument. This is what is done conventionally.  

But this time they’re wrong. 

Focusing on a positive message will be difficult at best. Even with the legacy media pushing the Biden-Harris report card, domestically and internationally, that is fraught with failure. Any promises to continue those policies will backfire with undecideds. Her socialist vision is one America simply does not endorse.  

Harris attacks relentlessly with deliberately false personal slurs – designed not just to hurt Trump but to destroy him politically. She claims a long list of falsehoods: he is a racist; he’s a fascist; he admires Hitler; he is a dictator; he will start a war; he organized riots; he is unhinged; he is unstable. Then the left-wing media repeat her comments over and over. 

If I had Harris’s ethics, I would too. She knows that if she slurs him dishonestly, she will be outed by conservative-leaning media. So what? It’s the other media that matters. Harris knows she and her lies won’t be called out by any of them. It is an astonishing fact of life that throughout this campaign, first with Biden but more aggressively with her, there has been one provably false ad hominem slur after another that has never been fact-checked by the national media. 

There’s yet another reason for continuing these personal attacks. Trump has a famously thin skin and can be baited. His responses, moreover, can be equally nasty – which she wants. If the media do cover the story, it will be presented as a she-said-he-said affair, and to feature a smooth but forceful soundbite from Harris, one, say, calling him unhinged. This will be followed by Trump’s selectively edited denial. When this happens, she is controlling the narrative, and she wins.  

You doubt me? Go back and analyze their debate. It’s precisely what she did all night long. He bit the hook repeatedly and lashed back. She was controlling the narrative.  

What should Trump do? Ignore her and do the exact opposite.  

Critics say that Trump is completely undisciplined. This is not so. No undisciplined man builds a multi-billion-dollar business empire and then gets elected president of the United States. Trump is disciplined when he wants to be disciplined. He now needs to be disciplined. 

He enjoys political boxing, especially against featherweights. But needs to accept that, while broadside attacks might arouse rally attendees, they are no longer his targeted audience. He needs to sell the undecideds. Rally rhetoric won’t make those old dogs hunt. But so, what? 

Both candidates are still in rally mode. Trump held a huge event at Madison Square Garden in New York and the media embarrassed themselves complaining about it. Harris just made a speech from outside the White House. The media love her canned speeches. 

Trump needs to understand he has another, equally powerful, weapon at his disposal, and that will bring skeptics to his camp. I think Trump has historically under-appreciated the tremendous power he has delivering a positive message.  

My advice to Trump is that he analyze his State of the Union addresses. Every year his enemies in and out of the media expected him to be off script and pugnacious, and they were ready for bear. Instead, he threw them a change-up every time. He did the opposite.  

He went positive, examining his record for the year completed, which always contained copious achievements, while laying out his agenda for the one to come which was commonly ambitious and attractive to a strong majority of Americans. He was the statesman, and after the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insultingly ripped his speech for the cameras, she was the angry failure.  

Critics say that Trump is completely undisciplined. This is not so. No undisciplined man builds a multi-billion-dollar business empire and then gets elected president of the United States. Trump is disciplined when he wants to be disciplined. He now needs to be disciplined. 

Go back and review his speech at Normandy. It was a masterpiece and projected him as the leader of the free world. Go back and review his speech at Warsaw. It was as powerful as anything ever delivered by President Ronald Reagan or British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, a full-throated defense of Western civilization, making hundreds of thousands of Poles roar their approval, and some weep.  

Trump has something Harris doesn’t: a winning record, a winning agenda and a winning vision. She avoids her record because it’s not only radioactive politically, but socialism has a rich history of utter failure everywhere.  

All Donald Trump needs to do is tell his story, remind people what was accomplished during his presidency. State simply he will do it again, both at home where so many are suffering, but also abroad where the world nears a boiling point. Lay out his vision of his city on the hill.  

Make that his closing argument and Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States.  

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Biden finalizes crackdown on US military tech investments in China with one week to lame duck session

The Treasury Department finalized a crackdown that will prevent the U.S. from investing in the development of military technologies in China this week.

Hawks say the rule is ‘long overdue’ and not broad enough, while some are skeptical of taking U.S. investment power out of China.

The rule prohibits U.S. financing of some China-based ventures and requires Americans to notify the government of their involvement in others. 

It restricts and monitors American investments in artificial intelligence, computer chips and quantum computing, all of which have a dual use in the defense and commercial sectors. 

The rule seeks to limit the access ‘countries of concern’ like China, including Hong Kong and Macao, have to U.S. dollars to fund the development of high-level technologies like next-generation missile systems and fighter jets they could then utilize for their own military. It’s set to take effect Jan. 2.  

‘Artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum technologies are fundamental to the development of the next-generation of military, surveillance, intelligence and certain cybersecurity applications like cutting-edge code-breaking computer systems or next-generation fighter jets,’ said Paul Rosen, assistant secretary of the Treasury. 

‘This final rule takes targeted and concrete measures to ensure that U.S. investment is not exploited to advance the development of key technologies by those who may use them to threaten our national security.’ 

Existing U.S. regulations restrict the export of such products to China and other ‘countries of concern,’ and the new regulation cracks down on U.S. dollars pouring into such countries. 

The rule, finalized after a public comment period, builds on President Biden’s 2023 executive order. In one category, it will allow the Treasury to investigate and ban transactions that pose ‘a particularly acute national security threat because of [their] potential to significantly advance the military, intelligence, surveillance, or cyber-enabled capabilities of a country of concern.’

It would also create a category of ‘notifiable transactions’ that the government would monitor, those that ‘may contribute to the threat to the national security of the United States identified in the Order.’

Blocking China’s ambitions for tech supremacy is one of few bipartisan priorities in Washington. But not everyone is on board with the new rule.

‘The most well-known proponent of restricting American investment in China is, of course, Xi Jinping,’ said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., chair of the House Financial Services Committee.

‘I remain skeptical of a sectoral approach to regulating outbound investment. U.S. outbound investment to acquire Chinese companies enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support, as proven most recently by congressional action to wrest control of TikTok away from ByteDance.’

The chairman, who is retiring, added, ‘To have a strong, immediate and global impact on the CCP’s ability to wage war, policymakers in Congress and the administration must embrace our time-tested sanctions regime. I will continue to oppose efforts that unwittingly advance Chairman Xi’s crackdown on Western influence in China, and I look forward to examining this rulemaking in more detail.’

But others argue the rule is not nearly strong enough. It allows Americans to invest in publicly traded Chinese companies or participate in venture capital or private equity funds with stakes worth up to $2 million.

‘I think that this was a step forward, but, at the same time, it was a missed opportunity to signal deterrence towards China that we will not continue to fund their economy when they’re going to use their economic and military strength to go after Taiwan, to go after the Philippines, to go after Japan, to go after all of our friends and even military allies,’ Michael Lucci, founder of global security firm State Armor, told Fox News Digital. 

The rule ‘should be broader than just these three categories’ of AI, quantum computing and semiconductors, said Lucci. 

He criticized McHenry’s stance on the rule and said it rang similar to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s calls for American investment in China.

‘Chairman McHenry’s limp-wristed approach to China’s economic warfare upon America is pathetic. He remains in thrall to the long-discredited idea that we will somehow turn China into a liberal democracy if we keep dumping our money into their economy and propping up their hard-core Marxist regime,’ he said. 

‘Now, China is once again courting investment because Xi Jinping desperately needs U.S. capital to bail out China’s stagnating economy. America needs to stop playing this game and instead broadly divest from the CCP.’

But a House Republican aide familiar with outbound investments argued the U.S. should want Americans at the forefront of technology development in other countries. 

‘You want Americans controlling a company. You want Americans on the board. You want Americans having insights into the technologies that are being developed. And these are the very same arguments behind wanting American investors to own shares and to acquire control over a company like Tiktok, which is also a Chinese technology company,’ the aide said. 

‘China is the world’s largest exporter of capital. It certainly does not need dollars, and if we are concerned about these technologies being developed, the proper response is to kill any company that poses a threat to America’s national security, and the way you do that is either through sanctions or through export controls.’ 

U.S. investment in China has been on the decline for years amid a cooling of relations between the two world powers. U.S. venture capital in China reached a 10-year low of $1.3 billion in 2022, down from $14.4 billion in 2018, according to the Rhodium Group. 

Others criticized the Biden administration for waiting until the week before the election to finalize such a rule. 

Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., the China select committee chair, called the new rule a ‘long overdue step.’ 

‘More must be done to ensure American money no longer fuels the Chinese Communist Party’s military build-up, its technological ambitions or its ongoing genocide,’ he said in a statement, adding Congress should ‘build on these rules and address a broader set of technologies and transactions that threaten our national security.’

‘The Biden-Harris administration has finally decided, just a week before the election, that it’s time to act tough on China,’ said Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky. 

Barr and Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., are two top contenders for the top Republican spot on the Financial Services Committee next Congress. Both emphasized that Congress needed to take further action to restrict U.S. investment in Chinese technologies. 

‘House Republicans continue to work to construct the most effective legislative approach that properly addresses the concerns many have regarding U.S. investment in Chinese-controlled dual-use technologies while also ensuring we don’t harm our economy,’ Hill said in response to the new rule. 

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Politics

Bulk of truckers back Trump and are wary of a Harris presidency, says big-rig big shot

Many big-rig truckers are backing former President Trump this cycle, amid worries surrounding how a Harris administration would affect the crucial auto industry, a trucking company executive admitted. 

The presidential election is just five days away, and Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have presented different futures for the auto industry while on the campaign trail.

Mike Kucharski, co-owner and vice president of JKC Trucking, Chicago’s largest specialty contract carrier, said that there are five reasons truckers are more in favor of a Trump presidency this cycle: costs, increased regulatory burdens, infrastructure, driving range of the trucks and less cargo capacity due to the battery.

‘I personally don’t vote along party lines, but I support candidates with policies. And I would say policies are the gateway to truckers’ vote — policies that help small business thrive,’ Kucharski said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. ‘Right now, a lot of small business owners in the trucking industry are seriously concerned about Kamala Harris’ impact on our industry if she takes office.’

The number one issue, according to Kucharski, is costs. 

‘Truckers are already struggling to stay afloat due to issues like skyrocketing diesel costs. It’s pouring too much for diesel. Truckers are driving less miles, paying more for fuel,’ he said. ‘Another blow to truckers is this increased regulatory burdens. Truckers are overregulated.’

Kucharski added that truckers are supportive of electric trucks, but that the industry is not ready for mandates such as those being pushed under the Biden-Harris administration.

Harris’ campaign told Fox News Digital that she does not support electric vehicle mandates. However, the Biden-Harris Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced a final rule in March to require up to two-thirds of all new car sales to be electric by 2032. The agency also set a goalto require 40% of heavy-duty trucks to be zero-emissions by 2032.

The EPA previously projected the standards could lead to 50% of vocational trucks, 35% of short-haul tractor-trailers and 25% of long-haul tractor-trailers produced in 2032 being electric.

‘The small trucking companies simply can’t absorb these extreme costs. And people are saying the larger companies could do it. But I think they’re going to have an issue. It’s a great idea, but I don’t think it’s going to work,’ Kucharski said of the final rule.

Many truckers are supporting Trump this cycle because he offers an energy-independent future, Kucharski said.

‘Trump has a little different perspective,’ he added. ‘Donald Trump, during COVID, brought truckers to the White House and thanked them for being essential workers.’

‘Truckers really have hope that he’ll walk back on just some of these regulations, because we’re overregulating the trucking business,’ he said. ‘Truckers are very excited because when Trump was talking about the economic plan, he brought up tariffs. And Trump is saying that he wants to bring more businesses, more production back into the U.S., which would be awesome.’

Jeremy Kirkpatrick, spokesman for American Trucking Associations (ATA), told Fox that they will work with whichever candidate gets elected and will be an advocate for the industry.

‘The American Trucking Associations works with any officeholder who is willing to work with us. Regardless of the outcome, ATA will remain at the table and continue to advocate for commonsense, pro-trucking policies that strengthen the supply chain, grow the economy and deliver for the American people,’ he said.

Brian Pannebecker, founder of Auto Workers for Trump 2024, recently told Fox he thinks that many Rust Belt autoworkers, a traditional cornerstone of the blue voting base, will be voting Republican this cycle.

‘The Democrats have been shipping our jobs to Mexico and China for over 40 years, so this process has just come to a head now with Donald Trump, and he’s speaking our language. He knows what we want to hear, that he’s going to protect our industry before it completely disappears, and we’re going to vote for him in big numbers. I’m saying 65% to 70% of the UAW members are pulling the lever for Donald J. Trump,’ Pannebecker told FOX Business’ ‘The Bottom Line.’

Harris was endorsed by the United Auto Workers union in July, which said that ‘our job in this election is to defeat Donald Trump and elect Kamala Harris to build on her proven track record of delivering for the working class.’

FOX Business’ Taylor Penley contributed to this report.

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NFL trade deadline: Targets for five potential buyers

Has the action for the NFL trade deadline already peaked this year?

With six days remaining until the league’s cutoff for in-season swaps, many organizations have already engineered what is likely to be their most significant personnel change until the spring. The New York Jets were the first to grab headlines by acquiring three-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, with several contenders – the Buffalo Bills (Amari Cooper), Kansas City Chiefs (DeAndre Hopkins and Joshua Uche), Baltimore Ravens (Diontae Johnson) and Minnesota Vikings (Cam Robinson) – following suit.

With all those deals complete and much of the top available talent accounted for, many of the most aggressive teams might already have wrapped up their plans. Still, there are several franchises that have the means and motivation to secure a key contributor who could be helpful in a playoff push.

Here are five more teams that could still be buyers before Tuesday, and a look at which players might be of interest to them in potential deals:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike Tomlin and Co. aren’t looking back after pivoting to Russell Wilson, with the Steelers now standing alone atop the AFC North at 6-2. Yet even though Wilson’s attacking mentality has unlocked a previously dormant deep passing game, there should be some serious reservations about a unit that stalled out on all four of its red zone trips in Monday’s 26-18 win over the New York Giants.

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

With Pittsburgh facing far greater tests in the coming weeks after feasting against lackluster offenses in the early going, it stands to reason that Wilson needs additional support in a receiving corps lacking a capable complement to George Pickens. Given Wilson’s penchant for lofting shots to the sideline, a tall target capable of winning contested catches could go a long way toward helping this offense reach a new level.

Steelers’ NFL trade deadline target possibilities

Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants: At 6-1 and 198 pounds, he’s not the towering figure one might envision as the fitting deadline addition for the Steelers. Still, his speed and tracking skills have been woefully underutilized in a Giants offense still coping with Daniel Jones’ limitations, and Pittsburgh got an up-close look at his capabilities on Monday night when he posted 108 yards on four catches. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Slayton is unlikely to be moved, but maybe Omar Khan can come up with a strong enough offer to entice Giants GM Joe Schoen, whose focus should be gearing up for the reboot ahead this offseason.

Detroit Lions

When Aidan Hutchinson was lost for the season to a broken tibia and fibula, many speculated that Detroit would try to reel in Maxx Crosby, Trey Hendrickson or even Myles Garrett. Each appears to be off limits, however, and such a seismic move would be a departure for Lions general manager Brad Holmes, who has been discerning with his approach to making additions that could rattle his team’s carefully calibrated culture.

Still, Dan Campbell acknowledged that the organization is ‘looking into’ its options ahead of the deadline, though he maintained no one is in ‘panic mode’ and there are other ways to generate pressure even without a premium edge rusher. With scant depth beyond Josh Paschal at the position, any infusion of talent could help put the defense on more solid ground as the Lions navigate the cutthroat NFC North while pursuing the conference’s top seed.

Lions’ NFL trade deadline target possibilities

Emmanuel Ogbah, DE/OLB, Miami Dolphins: Maybe Miami is reluctant to become a seller with Tua Tagovailoa breathing life into the offense upon his return. At 2-5, however, the Dolphins have a long way to go to climb back into the playoff picture. Securing a pick for an impending free agent who will turn 31 next week would assist in the effort to recalibrate one of the league’s more uneven rosters. Ogbah has recovered from his biceps injury and provides inside-outside versatility as a rusher.

San Francisco 49ers

Despite still having 10 players on injured reserve, the 49ers are tied for the NFC West lead at 4-4, with reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey trending toward making his season debut after the bye. Could San Francisco follow last year’s trajectory with another second-half surge? Perhaps, but some personnel changes still seem to be in order.

Losing Brandon Aiyuk to a torn ACL and MCL drastically alters the complexion of the offense, with Brock Purdy now deprived of his speediest target. While tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel can pick up some of the slack, both were ailing heading into Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys, with Samuel now dealing with rib and oblique strains. As much as San Francisco might prefer for rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing to step up, another veteran pass catcher could help settle any lingering uncertainty. Meanwhile, the defensive interior is looking precarious after Javon Hargrave was lost for the season to a torn triceps, and the edge rush is short on depth. Despite clearly being invested in making another Super Bowl push with this roster before an eventual Purdy extension necessitates some tough decisions, San Francisco will surely be cognizant of its cap outlook as it tries to roll over its unused space (a league-high $54.1 million, according to OverTheCap.com) to next year while minimizing any future obligations.

49ers’ NFL trade deadline target possibilities

Calais Campbell, DT/DE, Miami Dolphins: At 38, Campbell has ranked fourth this season in pass-rush win rate among defensive tackles (15%), according to ESPN. The 49ers could try to replicate their past efforts with Arik Armstead in utilizing the versatile 6-8, 282-pounder, and Campbell might enjoy getting to hop aboard a legitimate contender as it makes a title push.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The level of urgency is not yet evident for the Buccaneers, who are a game behind the Falcons in the NFC South and have lost the tiebreaker after being swept by Atlanta in the regular season. With wide receiver Chris Godwin out for the season and rampant defensive problem areas, is it still realistic to push for a fourth consecutive division crown – or more?

If general manager Jason Licht does decide to be active leading into the deadline, there is no shortage of spots to address. While offensive coordinator Liam Coen has gotten impressive mileage out of the ‘Pony’ package that trots out running backs Rachaad White and Bucky Irving together, the Buccaneers are sure to encounter some trouble in a receiving corps that will be without Godwin and Mike Evans, who is likely sidelined by a hamstring injury until at least Week 12 following the team’s bye. With the once-robust market for receivers having thinned out considerably, the Buccaneers will have to be creative if they want try to do more than press onward with third-round rookie receiver Jalen McMillan and tight end Cade Otton. But the bigger challenge might be on defense, with Todd Bowles’ group displaying major deficiencies in both the pass rush and secondary while allowing Kirk Cousins to throw for eight touchdowns in two games.

Buccaneers’ NFL trade deadline target possibilities

Philadelphia Eagles

At a time when most other NFL general mangers are content to stand pat, Howie Roseman is a lock to be working the phones. The Eagles’ personnel architect routinely takes the opportunity to scour the market for any possible upgrades. Yet the last few years have mostly produced a collective yawn, with midseason additions Kevin Byard III and Robert Quinn not living up to their billing. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni seemed to temper expectations amid a three-game winning streak, saying Tuesday, ‘I love the team that we have, and I think this team is really coming together.’

While Philadelphia still lacks a reliable No. 3 receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, Roseman might be reticent to undercut himself with another deal after he parted with a third-round pick in August to land Jahan Dotson, who has disappointed with just six catches for 35 yards this season. The biggest opportunity for a potential import could be the edge rush, which seemed to quell concerns when it picked up 13 sacks over the previous two weeks before netting just one Sunday against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. Additional depth at linebacker and along the offensive line could also come in handy.

Eagles’ NFL trade deadline target possibilities

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