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MarketCarpet Report: Stock Market Remains Resilient With Dow Notching a Record Close

The thin trading ahead of Labor Day weekend is here. Despite that, on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU) notched a record-high close. The S&P 500 ($SPX) was flat, and the Nasdaq Composite ($COMPQ) closed slightly lower.

Both indexes traded higher for most of the trading day, but it seemed that traders sold off on the rally in the afternoon and packed off early to take advantage of the last long summer weekend. Nvidia’s earnings are out, and all that’s remaining is Friday’s PCE Index. Since the Fed has already indicated that rate cuts are on the board, maybe the PCE isn’t such a big deal. Expect a slow day on Friday.

A Closer Look at Stock Market Action

It was an unusual day in the stock market. Since the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a record high, the Industrial sector did well. But Tech stocks, for the most part, didn’t fare as poorly as you may have expected. Apple (AAPL) was up 1.46% and Microsoft (MSFT) closed higher by 0.61%. But Nvidia’s 6.38% loss was the one that dragged down the Tech sector, putting it in last place in sector performance (see below).

FIGURE 1. STOCKCHARTS MARKETCARPET FOR AUGUST 29. Energy, Financials, and Utilities take the lead.

The good news is the Financial sector continues to hold up, with PayPal (PYPL) leading in performance with a 3.88% gain. Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA) saw gains of 1.91%. The underperformer was T Rowe Price (TROW) with a 2.37% decline.

Thursday’s top-performing sector was Energy, with Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX), the two largest stocks in the sector by market cap, trading higher. XOM was up 1.38%, and CVX was up 0.97%.

The rise in crude oil prices may have been the catalyst that helped the Energy sector. The Market Overview panel in the StockCharts Dashboard shows that, except for copper, commodity prices rose. Oil, Natural Gas, and Gasoline prices rose well over 1%.

Going back to Thursday’s MarketCarpet, even though NVDA closed lower by over 6%, other chip stocks did well. This reflects that the AI boom is still in play. Overall, the stock market remains healthy, with expanding market breadth and low volatility. The stock market will see higher trading volume from next week. In the meantime, follow the broader indexes, start building ChartLists of the different sectors, and download a few of the StockCharts free ChartPacks.

StockCharts Tip.

ChartPacks are a great way to get started with building ChartLists and exploring what Technical Analyst experts typically view before, during, and after market hours.

At the Close

A quick glance at Your Dashboard daily will keep you engaged with the stock market. Follow the market action in the broader equity indexes, bonds, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. From the Sector Summary, identify which sectors are performing well and which aren’t. The SCTR Reports and Market Movers can help you identify the strongest and weakest stocks.

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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Making history: US woman is first to play on wheelchair rugby team

PARIS — The U.S. and Canada wheelchair rugby teams were battling it out on the court as an announcement broke through with 5:53 remaining in the first quarter. History had just been made at Champ-de-Mars Arena.

Sarah Adam had just scored the first try for an American woman in the Paralympics on Thursday. The first-time Paralympian and first woman to play on the U.S. wheelchair rugby team received a loud chorus of applause after scoring, in recognition of her historic moment. 

Adam said she felt excited to be a part of the swelling interest in women’s sports. 

“We know people are going to fall in love with our stories and our sports and to be able to do that alongside these amazing teammates — this is truly a special team and I’m honored to be a part of it.”

Adam scored six tries against Canada in 16:09 minutes on the court, helping lead the American team to a 51-48 victory Thursday in the Group A preliminary round of wheelchair rugby.

2024 Paris Olympics: Follow USA TODAY’s coverage of the biggest names and stories of the Games.

The team — which has been in Paris for about a week — had been focused on settling into the host country and reconnecting before Thursday’s opener.

“She has fit in perfectly,” co-team captain Chuck Aoki said. “There’s no other way to put it. She has just embraced her role as a player on the team. I have been so, so impressed with what Sarah’s been able to do.”

Adam feels the same way. She’s been welcomed with open arms since making the national team in 2022. She described the feeling as being a little sister on the team. 

Sometimes that means her teammates are overprotective, Adam said, but they don’t treat her any differently on the playing field. 

“I think from the beginning it was still treating me no different than any other athlete out there, which I’ve really appreciated,” Adam said. “… The standards never changed and that has been my goal from the beginning … I think today I was able to go out there and prove that.”

Adam’s welcome to the Paralympic stage came against a physical Canada team — one that has garnered rival status for the Americans. The group met that physical style head-on to come away with the victory. 

Leading the charge was Aoki with 21 tries. Josh Wheeler was not far behind with 11. 

“Happy with the win,” Aoki said. “Certainly Canada brought it as we knew they would. But yeah, happy with the win. Ultimately — we’ve got a lot we can clean up, which is both frustrating but also exciting. So overall happy, but certainly need to do more.”

The win was not the easiest for Team USA. After being down by as much as four, Canada went on an 8-6 run to close the gap and head into halftime down just 25-24 to the Americans. Some strategic timeouts in the second helped keep the Canada run in check, as the U.S. team refocused on sticking to their playing style. 

The quick play from Adam, who impacted the game both when she had the ball and played off it, helped seal the win for the Americans. 

“I think we’ve got a little bit of work to do,” Adam said. “We came out hot and really (played) USA ball and had a little bit of a hiccup in the second quarter, but I’m proud of us for pulling it back together, sticking back to the game plan, but now we really need to find a way to put all four quarters together.”

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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With 7 days until voting starts, ‘election season’ kicks off sooner than you think

There are 67 days until Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

But if Americans vote like they did in the last two election cycles, most of them will have already cast a ballot before the big day.

Early voting starts as soon as Sept. 6 for eligible voters, with seven battleground states sending out ballots to at least some voters the same month.

It makes the next few months less a countdown to Election Day, and more the beginning of ‘election season.’

States have long allowed at least some Americans to vote early, like members of the military or people with illnesses. 

In some states, almost every voter casts a ballot by mail.

Many states expanded eligibility in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic made it riskier to vote in-person.

That year, the Fox News Voter Analysis found that 71% of voters cast their ballots before Election Day, with 30% voting early in-person and 41% voting by mail.

Early voting remained popular in the midterms, with 57% of voters casting a ballot before Election Day.

Elections officials stress that voting early is safe and secure. Recounts, investigations and lawsuits filed after the 2020 election did not reveal evidence of widespread fraud or corruption. 

The difference between ‘early in-person’ and ‘mail’ or ‘absentee’ voting.

There are a few ways to vote before Election Day.

The first is , where a voter casts a regular ballot in-person at a voting center before Election Day.

The second is , where the process and eligibility varies by state.

Eight states vote mostly by mail, including California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. Registered voters receive ballots and send them back.

Most states allow any registered voter to request a mail ballot and send it back. This is also called mail voting, or sometimes absentee voting. Depending on the state, voters can return their ballot by mail, at a drop box, and/or at an office or facility that accepts mail ballots.

In 14 states, voters must have an excuse to vote by mail, ranging from illness, age, work hours or if a voter is out of their home county on Election Day.

States process and tabulate ballots at different times. Some states don’t begin counting ballots until election night, which delays the release of results.

Voting begins on Sept. 6 in North Carolina, with seven more battleground states starting that month

This list of early voting dates is for guidance only. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, go to Vote.gov and your state’s elections website.

The first voters to be sent absentee ballots will be in North Carolina, which begins mailing out ballots for eligible voters on Sept. 6.

Seven more battleground states open up early voting the same month, including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada.

September deadlines

In-person early voting in bold.

Sept. 6

North Carolina – Absentee ballots sent to voters

Sept. 16

Pennsylvania – Mail-in ballots sent to voters

Sept. 17

Georgia – Absentee ballots sent to military & overseas

Sept. 19

Wisconsin – Absentee ballots sent

Sept. 20

Arkansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah, Wyoming – Absentee ballots sent to military & overseas
Minnesota, South Dakota – In-person absentee voting begins
Virginia – In-person early voting begins
Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia – Absentee ballots sent

Sept. 21

Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington – Absentee ballots sent to military & overseas
Indiana, New Mexico – Absentee ballots sent
Maryland, New Jersey – Mail-in ballots sent

Sept. 23

Mississippi – In-person absentee voting begins & absentee ballots sent
Oregon, Vermont – Absentee ballots sent

Sept. 26

Illinois – In-person early voting begins 
Michigan – Absentee ballots sent
Florida, Nevada – Mail-in ballots sent
North Dakota – Absentee & mail-in ballots sent

Sept. 30

Nebraska – Mail-in ballots sent

Oct. 4

Connecticut – Absentee ballots sent

Oct. 6

Michigan – In-person early voting begins 
Maine – In-person absentee voting begins & mail ballots sent
California – In-person absentee voting begins & mail ballots sent
Montana – In-person absentee voting begins
Nebraska – In-person early voting begins 
Georgia – Absentee ballots sent
Massachusetts – Mail-in ballots sent

Oct. 8

California – Ballot drop-offs open
New Mexico, Ohio – In-person absentee voting begins
Indiana – In-person early voting begins
Wyoming – In-person absentee voting begins & absentee ballots sent

Oct. 9

Arizona – In-person early voting begins & mail ballots sent

Oct. 11

Colorado – Mail-in ballots sent
Arkansas, Alaska – Absentee ballots sent

Oct. 15

Georgia – In-person early voting begins
Utah – Mail-in ballots sent

Oct. 16

Rhode Island, Kansas, Tennessee – In-person early voting begins
Iowa – In-person absentee voting begins
Oregon, Nevada – Mail-in ballots sent

Oct. 17

North Carolina – In-person early voting begins 

Oct. 18

Washington, Louisiana – In-person early voting begins
Hawaii – Mail-in ballots sent

Oct. 19

Nevada, Massachusetts – In-person early voting begins 
Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Idaho, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas – In-person early voting begins 
Colorado – Ballot drop-offs open

Oct. 22

Hawaii, Utah – In-person early voting begins 
Missouri, Wisconsin – In-person absentee voting begins

Oct. 23

West Virginia – In-person early voting begins

Oct. 24

Maryland – In-person early voting begins

Oct. 25

Delaware – In-person early voting begins

Oct. 26

Michigan, Florida, New Jersey, New York – In-person early voting begins 

Oct. 30

Oklahoma – In-person early voting begins 

Oct. 31

Kentucky – In-person absentee voting begins

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What kind of justices would President Kamala Harris appoint?

One of the most consequential responsibilities that a president possesses is the appointment of Supreme Court justices. These lifetime appointees impact our lives in countless ways. 

And with the bloodless coup orchestrated by the Democrats to force Vice President Kamala Harris down the throats of Democrat voters, it’s important to ask a direct question. What kind of justices would a President Harris appoint?

A good starting point to answer that question involves looking at jurists selected by President Biden. For the most part, his appointees are nothing more than hardcore leftists. At the head of the class is Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson who, in her two years on the court, staked out a position as a rock-solid member of the leftist bloc, along with Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

Three of the conservative justices – Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito – will be well into their 70s should a President Harris assume office next January. It is conceivable that she could replace these three right-of-center justices with three justices in the mold of Justice Jackson, transforming the court from a 6-3 conservative one to a 6-3 leftist one.

A President Harris would have a far more ambitious Supreme Court agenda than simply replacing justices who have retired. She just announced support for term limits on the court, suggesting she would try to force Alito, Thomas and Roberts to retire. She also indicated her openness to packing the court, adding new seats to the nine that exist. 

The last time a president attempted this maneuver occurred during the 1930s, when President Franklin Roosevelt, displeased by the court’s rulings against his New Deal agenda, proposed adding a half dozen new justices. 

The Senate, then ruled by an overwhelming supermajority of Roosevelt’s own Democratic Party, was so repulsed by this naked power grab that the Judiciary Committee referred to the ploy as, ‘a measure which should be so emphatically rejected that its parallel will never again be presented to the free representatives of the free people of America.’

Seemingly unburdened by what has been, Harris hired Brian Fallon as her campaign communications director. In 2018, Fallon founded Demand Justice, a group that supports the appointment of leftist judges. 

After Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement that June, Demand Justice first resurrected the idea of packing the Supreme Court, an idea once thought long-dead. Since then, the group grew more determined to achieve this goal. Under Fallon’s influence, it’s reasonable to assume that a President Harris would implement Demand Justice’s desire.

Suppose a President Harris adds four new seats to the Supreme Court, to attempt to create a 7-6 liberal majority court. Who would she select? Well, Fallon already put together an absurd shortlist during his time running Demand Justice. 

Among Fallon’s suggested candidates are people like Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Soros-funded prosecutor who transformed Philadelphia into a crime-infested drug haven; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, who aggressively prosecuted grandmothers praying in front of abortion clinics and who perjured herself during her confirmation hearings; Catherine Lhamon, an assistant secretary at the Department of Education, who is the architect of the due process-free civil rights tribunals on college campuses; and Pamela Karlan, the left-wing Stanford Law professor who publicly mocked Barron Trump. 

Under this scenario, a President Harris would not even need to worry about replacing Roberts, Thomas and Alito. She could simply add enough new justices to the court to make them irrelevant.

It is clear what the Supreme Court would become under a President Harris. Over a decade ago, the court held that we have an individual right to bear arms. A Harris-packed court almost certainly would overturn this decision and greenlight Harris’ proposal for a mandatory gun buyback program. This, among many other likely decisions to come out of the Kamala court, would sow disastrous consequences for America. 

Make no mistake about it. The Supreme Court – and our most basic constitutionally guaranteed freedoms – are at stake in this election.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Goldberg on sideline to watch son play for Colorado in season opener

Editor’s note: Follow all the action between Colorado and North Dakota State with USA TODAY Sports’ live coverage.

BOULDER, Colo. – Shortly before Thursday’s season-opening game between Colorado and North Dakota State, famed professional wrestler Goldberg roamed the sidelines wearing a black Colorado football hat as fans in the stands started chanting his name.

The WWE Hall of Famer, whose full name is Bill Goldberg, is not new to the celebrity scene here because he’s known coach Deion Sanders for decades. But he is new to the scene as the father of a son on the Colorado team. Gage Goldberg is listed as a non-scholarship freshman linebacker out of Boerne, Texas.

The Buffaloes run in the family. Gage’s cousin David Goldberg lettered at Colorado from 2009-11.

Bill Goldberg played for Georgia for three seasons and was drafted in the 11th round by Los Angeles Rams in 1990. He played with Atlanta Falcons for three seasons through 1994 and was a teammate of Sanders with the team before turning to his wrestling career.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Two-time US Open champ Osaka ousted in second round

Czech Karolina Muchova delivered a flawless display of serve-and-volley tennis to knock twice champion Naomi Osaka out of the U.S. Open with a 6-3 7-6(5) second-round victory on Thursday.

Muchova enjoyed the best season of her career last year before a wrist injury sidelined her for 10 months, but she looked back to her best at Arthur Ashe Stadium as she set up a third round meeting with unseeded Russian Anastasia Potapova.

Four-times major winner Osaka of Japan, who missed last year’s tournament while on a maternity break, was brilliant in her opening round win over 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko but a handful of costly mistakes sunk her chances against Muchova.

The two big servers were deadlocked early in the match before Muchova converted a break point when she forced Osaka into a backhand error in the seventh game, and the former world number one dropped serve again in the ninth.

Osaka broke Muchova with a powerful forehand into the corner in the ninth game of the second set and had the momentum as she went up 40-0 in the 10th.

But she let the match slip through her fingers as her forehand began to malfunction and the former world number one threw her racquet in disgust as she sent one long on the second break point, before Muchova battled through in the tiebreak.

Jannik Sinner cruises, Hubert Hurkacz bows out

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner made quick work of 20-year-old American Alex Michelsen in the second round of the U.S. Open, the Italian prevailing 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 on Thursday in New York.

Sinner, who also defeated Michelsen during the Cincinnati Open earlier this month, notched his 50th match win of the season and his 30th on hard courts, most on the ATP Tour.

Sinner saved 3 of 5 break points while converting 8 of 16 chances to break Michelsen’s serve en route to victory in a tidy one hour, 39 minutes. He capitalized on Michelsen’s 32 unforced errors.

‘I am very happy to get through. He is a very tough opponent,’ Sinner said post-match. ‘We had a match in Cincinnati one week ago, so I knew a little what to expect.’

Sinner’s third-round opponent will be Australian Christopher O’Connell, who beat Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

It wasn’t as breezy for other top seeds on Thursday. Australia’s Jordan Thompson, unseeded but ranked 32nd in the world, rolled past No. 7 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland 7-6 (2), 6-1, 7-5.

Thompson hit 13 aces to just two double faults and won 42 of his 51 first-service points (82.4 percent).

Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic toppled No. 16 seed Sebastian Korda of the U.S. 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the third round of the U.S. Open for the first time.

‘It was pretty difficult. I think I was playing a solid match, so was Sebi at the beginning,’ Machac said. ‘At the beginning of the third set, I noticed he was struggling, shaking out his hand, but he was still fighting so much and playing like he wasn’t in pain. So I had to be really focused on my tennis.’

Canadian qualifier Gabriel Diallo edged No. 24 seed Arthur Fils of France 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4.

No. 10 seed Alex de Minaur of Australia took care of business against Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen, 7-5, 6-1, 7-6 (3). No. 25 seed Jack Draper of Great Britain, No. 30 seed Matteo Arnaldi and No. 31 seed Flavio Cobolli, both of Italy, all advanced to the next round.

No. 14 seed Tommy Paul led 7-5, 6-0, 1-0 when Australian opponent Max Purcell retired.

Great Britain’s Daniel Evans, two days removed from winning the longest match (five hours, 35 minutes) in U.S. Open history, made quicker work of Argentina’s Mariano Navone, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Other winners included Nuno Borges of Portugal, David Goffin of Belgium and Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Trump campaign slams Harris as ‘still a San Francisco radical’ after CNN interview

The Trump-Vance campaign released a statement Thursday night following Vice President Kamala Harris’ first media interview since becoming the Democratic nominee for president, calling her a ‘San Francisco radical’ and highlighting aspects of her record that were not discussed in the interview. 

‘[Harris] said her values ‘have not changed’ three separate times. She’s still a San Francisco radical,’ the campaign said. 

Among other things, the Trump-Vance campaign said that CNN’s Dana Bash did not bring up Harris’ history of supporting ‘ending cash bail for violent criminals, fundraising for the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which freed rioters,’ her ‘vote for tie-breaking vote for American Rescue Plan, which economists say fueled inflation,’ and her ‘support for closing immigration detention centers and freeing thousands of criminals into American neighborhoods.’

‘[Harris] spoke for just over 16 minutes and didn’t even address the crime crisis in this nation. She spent a mere 3 minutes and 25 seconds talking about the economy and 2 minutes and 36 seconds talking about immigration,’ the statement said. 

During her interview, Harris said she believes Americans are ready to ‘turn the page’ on former President Donald Trump.

She also defended her work as the appointed border czar for the Biden administration and that her work ‘resulted in a number of benefits.’

‘The root causes work that I did as vice president that I was asked to do by the president has actually resulted in a number of benefits, including historic investments by American businesses in that region, the number of immigrants coming from that region has actually reduced since we began that work,’ she said. 

‘When I look at the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I think that people are ready for a new way forward, in a way that generations of Americans have been fueled by, by hope and by optimism. I think, sadly, in the last decade, we have had in the former president, someone who has really been pushing an agenda, and in an environment that is about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans — really dividing our nation. And I think people are ready to turn the page on that,’ Harris said. 

This was in response to what she would accomplish on day one of a Harris presidency, which Bash later had to press for more detail. 

Harris’ most detailed plans revealed in the Thursday night interview included a $6,000 child tax credit – similar to what the Trump-Vance campaign earlier had announced as a policy plan –  and a $25,000 tax credit for first-time homeowners. 

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Top 5 moments from Kamala Harris’ first interview as Dem nominee: ‘I will not ban fracking’

Vice President Kamala Harris sat down for her first interview with the media since rising to the top of the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket, shedding light on President Biden’s call announcing he was dropping out of the race, as well as defending her recent policy flip-flops.

Harris rose to the top of the ticket after Biden dropped out of the race last month following his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump in June. The debate, which included Biden tripping over his words and losing his train of thought, opened the floodgates to traditional Democratic allies of the president joining conservatives in sounding the alarm over Biden’s mental acuity and 81 years of age. 

The highly anticipated sit-down marks the first interview Harris has held in 39 days, when she became the presumptive nominee. Harris has largely avoided the media since ascending the Democratic ticket, only rarely answering media questions while on the campaign trail and holding no press conferences. 

Harris was joined by her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, for the pre-taped CNN interview that aired Thursday evening. 

Following Harris’ first sit-down interview with the media since ascending the ticket, Fox News Digital compiled the top five moments from the Savannah, Georgia, interview as the election cycle comes down to its final months. 

Harris fumbles ‘day one’ question 

Harris was asked twice about her ‘day one’ agenda, but gave overarching answers instead of responding with a specific executive order or directive. 

‘The voters are really eager to hear what your plans are. If you are elected, what would you do on day one in the White House?’ Bash asked Harris. 

‘Well, there are a number of things. I will tell you first and foremost one of my highest priorities is to do what we can to support and strengthen the middle class. When I look at the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I think that people are ready for a new way forward in a way that generations of Americans have been fueled by — by hope and by optimism.,’ Harris responded. 

‘I think sadly in the last decade, we have had in the former president someone who has really been pushing an agenda and an environment that is about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans — really dividing our nation. And I think people are ready to turn the page on that.

‘So what would you do? Day one?’ Bash pressed. 

‘Day one, it’s gonna be about one, implementing my plan for what I call an opportunity economy. I’ve already laid out a number of proposals in that regard, which include what we’re gonna do to bring down the cost of everyday goods, what we’re gonna do to invest in America’s small businesses, what we’re gonna do to invest in families,’ Harris said. 

‘For example, extending the child tax credit to $6,000 for families for the first year of their child’s life to help them buy a car seat, to help them buy baby clothes, a crib. There’s the work that we’re gonna do that is about investing in the American family around affordable housing, a big issue in our country right now. So there are a number of things on day one.’

Harris says she made position clear on allowing fracking in 2020 — except it wasn’t hers

Harris doubled down in the interview that she would not ban fracking if elected, claiming she made ‘clear’ where she stood on fracking during the 2020 election. 

‘No, and I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking. As vice president, I did not ban fracking. As president, I will not ban fracking,’ Harris said. 

Before Harris dropped her bid for president in 2019 and joined President Biden’s ticket, she said during a CNN town hall ‘there’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking’ on her first day in office. 

Harris was asked about fracking during her 2020 vice presidential debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence but did not reveal her position on fracking, instead saying Biden would not ban fracking. Fox News Digital reviewed a transcript of the 2020 vice presidential debate and found ‘fracking’ was mentioned nine times, with Harris using the word twice. 

‘Joe Biden will not end fracking. He has been very clear about that,’ Harris said during the debate in 2020 cycle. 

‘I will repeat, and the American people know that Joe Biden will not ban fracking. That is a fact. That is a fact,’ she added during another portion of the debate. 

Walz cites ‘grammar’ for false claim on guns he ‘carried in war’

Gov. Walz attempted to blame his grammar when asked about his prior comments that he wants to ban guns like the ones he ‘carried in war,’ even though he never saw combat during his time in the Army National Guard. 

‘The country is just starting to get to know you,’ Bash noted before asking him about his 2018 remarks. ‘I want to ask you a question about how you described your service in the National Guard. You said that you carried weapons in war, but you have never deployed, actually, in a war zone. A campaign official said that you misspoke. Did you?’

Walz responded: ‘Well, first of all, I’m incredibly proud. I’ve done 24 years of wearing the uniform of this country. Equally proud of my service in a public school classroom, whether it’s Congress or — or the governor. My record speaks for itself, but I think people are coming to get to know me. I — I speak like they do. I speak candidly. I wear my emotions on my sleeves, and I speak especially passionately about — about our children being shot in schools and around — around guns.’ 

Bash again asked if he misspoke, sparking Walz to admit he did while citing his ‘grammar.’ 

‘Yeah, I said — we were talking about in this case, this was after a school shooting, the ideas of carrying these weapons of war. And my wifem the English teacher, told me my grammar’s not always correct. But again, if it’s not this, it’s an attack on my children for showing love for me, or it’s an attack on my dog. I’m not gonna do that, and the one thing I’ll never do is I’ll never demean another member’s service in any way. I never have and I never will,’ he responded.

Harris dodges whether Biden endorsed her in phone call he was dropping out 

Harris dodged answering whether Biden endorsed her to run in his place when he first called and informed her he was bowing out of the election amid mounting concern over his mental acuity. 

‘What about the endorsement? Did you ask for it?’ Bash asked Harris. 

‘He was very clear that he was gonna support me,’ Harris responded. 

‘So when he called to tell you, he said, ‘I’m pulling out of the race, and I’m gonna support you?,’’ Bash pressed Harris. 

‘Well, my first thought was not about me to be honest with you. My first thought was about him, to be honest. I think history is gonna show a number of things about Joe Biden’s presidency. I think history is gonna show that in so many ways it was transformative, be it on what we have accomplished around finally investing in America’s infrastructure, investing in new economics, in new industries, what we have done to bring our allies back together, and have confidence in who we are as America, and grow that alliance, what we have done to stand true to our principles including the — the — one of the most important international rules and norms, which is the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity,’ she said. 

Biden did endorse Harris just minutes after dropping out of the race in a message on X. 

‘My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,’ he wrote. 

Harris would appoint a Republican to the cabinet if elected 

Harris said that she would appoint a Republican to her cabinet if elected, which follows a tradition of presidents bringing on or retaining politicians from across the aisle until recent history. 

‘You had a lot of Republican speakers at the convention. Will you appoint a Republican to your cabinet?’ Bash asked. 

‘Yes, I would.,’ Harris responded, noting she does not have a specific person in mind. 

Before the respective Trump and Biden administrations, presidents have historically appointed politicians from the opposite party to their cabinet or kept on politicians from a previous president of the opposite party. 

Transportation Secretary under the Bush administration, Norm Mineta, for example, was a Democrat, while President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Defense was Republican William Cohen, and former President Obama retained Bush’s Republican Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. 

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Kamala Harris offers vague ‘Day 1’ Oval Office plan in CNN interview: ‘A number of things’

Vice President Kamala Harris, in her first media interview since taking over the top of the Democratic ticket roughly 40 days ago, said she had ‘a number of things’ in mind for day one priorities should she take the Oval Office but didn’t divulge much in the way of specifics. 

She did say she believes Americans are ready to ‘turn the page’ on former President Donald Trump.

‘The voters are really eager to hear what your plans are. If you are elected, what would you do on day one in the White House,’ CNN’s Dana Bash asked Harris, who was flanked by her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. 

‘Well, there are a number of things I will tell you. First and foremost, one of my highest priorities is to do what we can to support and strengthen the middle class,’ Harris said. 

‘When I look at the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I think that people are ready for a new way forward, in a way that generations of Americans have been fueled by, by hope and by optimism. I think, sadly, in the last decade, we have had in the former president, someone who has really been pushing an agenda, and in an environment that is about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans — really dividing our nation. And I think people are ready to turn the page on that,’ Harris replied. 

‘So, what would you do? Day one?’ Bash pressed. To which Harris said, its going to be about one implementing my plan for what I call an opportunity economy.’

‘I’ve already laid out a number of proposals in that regard, which include what we’re going to do to bring down the cost of everyday goods, what we’re going to do to invest in America’s small businesses, what we’re going to do to invest in families,’ Harris said. 

‘For example, extending the child tax credit to $6,000 for families for the first year of their child’s life, to help them buy a car seat, to help them buy baby clothes, a crib,’ she said. 

Notably, extending the child tax credit, though it differs slightly, was first a policy announcement by the Trump campaign. 

‘There’s the work that we’re going to do that is about investing in the American family around affordable housing, a big issue in our country right now. So there are a number of things on day one,’ Harris stated. 

Later in the roughly 26-minute, pre-taped interview, Harris said one of her proposals included a tax credit of $25,000 for first-time home buyers. 

‘What we need to do to bring down the cost of housing. My proposal includes what would be a tax credit of $25,000 for first-time home buyers, so they can just have enough to put a down payment on a home, which is part of the American dream and their aspiration. But do it in a way that allows them to actually get on the path to achieving that goal and that dream,’ she said. 

Walz, for his part, said he is ‘excited’ about Harris’ agenda. 

‘As I said, the idea of inspiring America to what can be and I think many of these things that the vice president’s proposing are, are things that we share in values,’ he said. 

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College football season predictions: Playoff, title picks and more

If crystal balls really did predict the future, then there’d be no debate about how the college football season plays out. The outcomes would be foreseeable and the debates would be muted. Thankfully, that’s not the case. And as we enter an era of change with an expanded College Football Playoff and conference realignment, there’s a palpable feeling of uncertainty as nobody can be sure about how it all will play out.

There was unpredictability last year with Washington and Texas making the playoff, while two-time defending champion Georgia missed out. There are major questions this year. How will Oklahoma and Texas adjust to life in the SEC? Can Michigan recover from the loss of Jim Harbaugh and be national title contenders again? Will the additions of four Pac-12 schools drastically alter the power hierarchy in the Big Ten?

On the individuals front, Caleb Williams was seeking a repeat Heisman Trophy last season and failed to reach New York. The race appears wide open with only two contenders – Ollie Gordon III and Jalen Milroe – finishing among the top 10 last year.

Due to a flurry of turnover, many existing coaches start on the hot seat and there’s some new hires at new places under immediately pressure – notably Kalen DeBoer at Alabama, Mike Ellko at Texas A&M and Jedd Fisch at Washington.

So how does it all shake out? That’s where the experts at USA TODAY Sports come in. We’re here to offer our predictions for the season ahead.

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Who makes the College Football Playoff?

Who wins the national championship?

Scooby Axson: Ohio State. It’s the Big Ten/SEC invitational, at least for this year, and the now-or-never mindset of the Buckeyes will have them hoisting the trophy in Atlanta, where they had their last playoff disappointment in a loss to Georgia two seasons ago.

Jordan Mendoza: Oregon. The “O” logo won’t longer represent how many national titles have been won in Eugene. Dillon Gabriel is a seasoned star that will flourish under Dan Lanning, but the defense has the chance to be among the toughest in the country. The Ducks likely won’t go undefeated and will suffer a loss – maybe two – but will be clicking on all cylinders by the time the playoff rolls around, and Oregon wins the title to make a statement in its first season in the Big Ten.

Paul Myerberg: Georgia. The Bulldogs and Buckeyes are the current class of the FBS. While the Buckeyes might have the deepest collection of talent and some of the biggest stars in the country, I like the Bulldogs to get back on top after a brief one-year run outside the top four.

Erick Smith: Georgia. Whether it is the motivation of missing out on last season’s playoff or just the sheer amount of talent accumulated by Kirby Smart, it is hard to pick against the Bulldogs returning to the top of the college football mountain. They check all the boxes. Elite quarterback. Talented offensive line. Skill people. Dominant defense. Georgia may drop a game in the regular season or even the SEC title game (again). But it is best suited to manage the expanded playoff system.

Eddie Timanus: Ohio State. It’s unlikely anyone will get through the season completely unscathed, and the angsty Buckeyes’ fan base will still find plenty to complain about over the course of the year. But they’ll do enough to reach the Big Ten finale, win it to secure a top-two seed, and prevail in a classic championship game.

Dan Wolken: Ohio State. If you knock on the door enough times, you’ll eventually break through. This feels like that kind of year for Ohio State. They’ve got the motivation, they’ve got the talent and they’ve got the returning experience to thrive both in the regular season and in a playoff setting. Ryan Day finally gets it done this year.

Who wins the Heisman Trophy?

Axson: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon. Gabriel has enough experience (49 starts) and the playmakers around him to put up big numbers, and as the Ducks forge toward the playoffs, more eyes will be on the sixth-year quarterback.

Mendoza: Jalen Milroe, Alabama. The Crimson Tide signal-caller flourished in the second half of last season and he continues to shine in 2024. He can take his passing game to the next level with Kalen DeBoer at the helm, plus his legs and the ability to outrun nearly anybody makes him such a dangerous threat for Alabama. Expect lots of Heisman moments from Milroe.

Myerberg: Quinn Ewers, Texas. He has very strong name recognition and will be surrounded by the Longhorns’ most talented team in over a decade. Should Texas match expectations and get back into the playoff, Ewers should have the numbers to rise to the top of the Heisman list. He’ll have to stay healthy, though, as injuries have sidelined him the past two seasons.

Smith: Carson Beck, Georgia. If the Bulldogs are going to be the best team in the regular season then it stands to reason their best player is going right at the top of the contenders for the Heisman. Beck quietly had a great debut season and should be even better in 2024.

Timanus: Jalen Milroe, Alabama. The Alabama signal caller amply demonstrated his clutch gene last season, and he’ll put up even better numbers in new coach Kalen DeBoer’s system. He’ll cement the award with a huge performance in the SEC title game.

Wolken: Carson Beck, Georgia. Georgia is probably going to be the No. 1 team for most of the year, and Carson Beck is going to put up really good numbers. He’s a really good quarterback with a lot of talent around him. That’s usually the recipe for winning a Heisman.  

What will be the game of the year?

Axson: Ohio State at Oregon, Oct. 12. This may be the first of two or three meetings between the new conference foes this season. The Buckeyes and Ducks will be introducing new quarterbacks from the transfer portal and should have ample time to settle into a routine before this meeting.

Mendoza: Georgia at Alabama, Sept. 28. There’s no more Nick Saban, but can Kalen DeBoer prove Alabama, and not Georgia, is still the top dog in the SEC? The expectations are always high for the Crimson Tide and DeBoer can do himself a favor by beating the Bulldogs, while Kirby Smart will want to assert he is the class of the conference now that Saban is gone. Winner likely cements a path for a first-round bye in the playoff.

Myerberg: Michigan at Ohio State, Nov. 30. I’m still going with this epic matchup despite the fact that the 12-team playoff could render this and other end-of-year rivalries less important than in the past. Beyond the bragging rights in the series, the meeting in late November should also serve as an eliminator for the Big Ten title game and put the winner on track for a top-four finish and bye in the first round.

Smith: Texas at Texas A&M, Nov. 30. There might be games with more playoff impact. There won’t be any games with more emotion than when the Longhorns and Aggies renew their heated rivalry after 13 years of dormancy. And if both teams are in the running for the SEC title game or playoff contention, the level of intensity could be ramped up even further. Enjoy.

Timanus: Ohio State at Oregon, Oct. 12. One could make a case for a number of options on this particular Saturday, but we’ll go with this first visit for the Buckeyes to one of the Big Ten’s new members on the west coast.

Wolken: Ohio State at Oregon, Oct. 12. One good thing about the new Big Ten is that there will be huge games that involve more than just the Michigan-Ohio State-Penn State triumvirate. Ohio State-Oregon could easily be a national championship preview. 

Who is the biggest surprise team?

Axson: Miami. Either the transfer portal will work wonders for the Hurricanes, or Mario Cristobal will be looking for a new job. New quarterback Cam Ward gives Miami a legitimate chance to make the playoff, and with an improved defense and ridiculously manageable schedule, the ACC is there for the taking.

Mendoza: Kansas. Three years ago, the thought of Kansas having any football success would sound ludicrous, but Lance Leipold has turned things around in Lawrence. If there was any time for the Jayhawks to peak, it’s this year. Jalon Daniels and Devin Neal are among the top 1-2 punches in the Big 12, and steller cornerback Cobee Bryant anchors the defense. The schedule is favorable with the toughest games coming against West Virginia and Kansas State on the road. They don’t have the luxury of affording slip ups, but if the Jayhawks stay healthy, they very well can play themselves in the College Football Playoff. 

Myerberg: North Carolina State. There’s a void atop the ACC, as Florida State’s loss to Georgia Tech proved. While Clemson, Miami and maybe North Carolina are seen as the most obvious teams to fill the Seminoles’ shoes atop the conference standing, N.C. State may be the most complete team in the conference. There’s enough there for the Wolfpack to crack 10 wins for the second time in program history and win the ACC.

Smith: Oklahoma. Lots of talk that the Sooners will be overwhelmed in their first season in the SEC. And the schedule is ridiculously hard with six teams ranked in the preseason top 15. But if they can split those six games then playoff consideration would be reasonable. QB Jackson Arnold and the offensive line will take time to settle early, but the defense looks improved enough to handle the rigors of the daunting journey.

Timanus: North Carolina State. Observant readers will have noted my slotting of the Wolfpack in at the No. 4 spot in the playoff projection above, a tacit assertion that they’re going to win the ACC. A stretch perhaps, but things have gone pretty well for the athletic department in 2024, and the league schedule sets up fairly well for football to possibly keep the fun going in Raleigh.

Wolken: Miami. Nobody is really talking about Miami, but the amount of talent that has been accumulated by Mario Cristobal and his coaching staff is significant. That includes Cam Ward transferring from Washington State and landing in Coral Gables rather than going to the NFL draft. He’s the real deal, and Miami could rise to the top of a questionable ACC. 

Who will be the biggest disappointment?

Axson: Oklahoma. Life in the SEC is going to get really tough, really quick. The defense, which gave up too many big plays but also picked off 20 passes last season, will need to tighten up, and new quarterback Jackson Arnold will need to cut down on the turnovers. Easier said than done with teams like Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, Alabama and LSU, plus the annual tilt with Texas on the schedule.

Mendoza: Mississippi. The hype is high for Lane Kiffin and company, and a No. 6 ranking in the preseason USA TODAY Sports coaches poll gives the Rebels faith it can reach the playoff. But the SEC is a bloodbath, and Ole Miss falters in the second half of the season to take them out of playoff contention and end the year in disappointment. 

Myerberg: Colorado. The ratio of attention to success will continue to be out of balance for the Buffaloes, who will be better in Deion Sanders’ second year but should not be not expected to contend in the Big 12. Could Colorado get to a bowl game? That’s a more manageable achievement. But it’s not one that should take pressure off of Sanders, who is 4-8 through one year and has continued to rely on dozens of transfers to fill out his depth chart.

Smith: Missouri. The Tigers benefit from perhaps the easiest possible schedule in the SEC and are coming off an 11-win campaign. But talk of reaching the playoff is premature with an uncertain defense that lost talented coordinator Blake Baker to LSU and the program dealing with increased expectations. There will be a surprise loss or two as they fall closer to out of the Top 25 than in the 12-team field.

Timanus: Notre Dame. Without the benefit of conference affiliation, things have to go just about perfectly for the Fighting Irish to secure a playoff invitation. And they won’t. They’ll win at least eight games, but they’ll drop one they’re not supposed to, and there won’t be enough on the resume to overcome it.

Wolken: Michigan. The personnel losses of the Wolverines were significant enough that they’d have taken a step back even if Jim Harbaugh stayed. Of course, Harbaugh didn’t stay – and there’s going to be a big learning curve with a rookie head coach. Add the NCAA investigation disruptions on top of that, and Michigan is headed for a pretty mediocre season.

Who is coach of year?

Axson: Ryan Day, Ohio State. Any football coach would take a 56-8 record going into their sixth full season. But this is Ohio State, which goes into every season as a now-or-never candidate to win the national title. Another loss to Michigan makes this prediction moot, but Day and the Buckeyes have enough talent and challenges in their schedule to at least make the playoffs.

Mendoza: Lance Leipold, Kansas. The Jayhawks making the postseason tournament in football caps what has been a remarkable turnaround since Leipold took over the program in 2021. With a group of seniors leading Kansas into the playoff and leaving at the end of the season, he becomes another big name to watch in the coaching carousel.

Myerberg: Kalen DeBoer, Alabama. DeBoer will coach 2024 under a different sort of scrutiny. For starters, he’s the new coach at Alabama; pressure is always high, especially on newcomers. He’s also inheriting the highest standard of success of any program in the FBS, where anything but a playoff bid and deep run in the postseason would be seen as falling short. And he’s stepping in for Nick Saban, widely seen as college football coaching’s GOAT. Amid all of that, getting to 10 wins and potentially winning the SEC would be another feather in DeBoer’s cap.

Smith: James Franklin, Penn State. The Nittany Lions are positioned to be one of the programs that will have the greatest benefit from playoff expansion. They’ll be in the field and don’t be surprised if they upset Ohio State in the regular season and reach the Big Ten title game.

Timanus: Brent Pry, Virginia Tech. No, the Hokies won’t win the ACC, but they’ll land in the league’s top tier and will finish the campaign with a number before their name.

Wolken: Lane Kiffin, Mississippi. Kiffin has done enough work in the portal to get Ole Miss over the hump and into the College Football Playoff. Given the historic limitations on that program, a consensus will form around Kiffin as coach of the year not necessarily based on being a surprise team this year but on the body of work to elevate the program beyond what it has been historically.

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