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Ronaldo sets YouTube record with 1 million subscribers in 90 minutes

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo’s worldwide celebrity reached another height as he became the fastest to reach 1 million subscribers on YouTube this week.

Ronaldo created his YouTube channel, UR Cristiano, on Wednesday. He’s used to reaching goals in 90 minutes on the pitch, but that’s also how long it took for him to reach 1 million subscribers on the video sharing platform.

Ronaldo even hoisted YouTube’s Golden Creator Award for reaching 1 million later Wednesday night, sharing the moment with his family and legion of fans on social media.

All it took was one social media post from Ronaldo, asking fans to SIUUUbscribe – making light of his “SIUUU” goal celebration.

And he’s already qualified to receive YouTube’s Diamond Creator Award for 10 million subscribers: Ronaldo’s YouTube account boasts 24 million subscribers and counting, as of Thursday.

“YouTube’s dream team-up with football legend Cristiano Ronaldo has been a labour of love and dedication. And watching his channel explode is pure gold!” YouTube Europe, Middle East and Africa vice president Pedro Pina told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday.

“This is just the kickoff to an epic adventure, and we’re strapped in for the ride. Massive congrats to Cristiano and his squad! And let’s keep those SIUUUUUUUBSCRIPTIONS rolling in!’

Ronaldo, 39, is considered one of the greatest soccer players in the world. The Portuguese star played for European powerhouses Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus. He is currently playing with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram with 636 million followers and Facebook with 170 million followers. He is the third-most followed person on X, behind owner Elon Musk and former U.S. President Barack Obama, with 112.6 million followers.

Ronaldo isn’t close yet to YouTube leader and American social media influencer MrBeast, who has 311 million subscribers. But Ronaldo’s initial YouTube splash is another showcase of his worldwide fame and marketability for the legendary soccer star.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Politics

Flashback: Oprah Winfrey once called Trump a ‘folk hero,’ a contrast to comments made during the DNC

In a 1988 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the celebrity talk show host appeared to be amazed at Americans’ ‘fascination’ with Donald Trump and even described him as a ‘folk hero’ for being so popular. 

‘Various celebrities in New York, because it was the opening concert in New York, and there were all kinds of celebrities – very, very famous people coming in to be seated. When you were seated, you got the loudest applause. People stood up and roared and cheered when you walked in,’ Winfrey said during the interview. ‘Why is that? What is this fascination?’

‘I don’t know, maybe I should be a rockstar,’ Trump replied.

‘They thought you were going to moonwalk,’ Oprah quipped. 

After Trump pondered his popularity with Oprah, she also referred to him as a ‘folk hero.’

The unearthed interview came to light a day after Winfrey made a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night, during which she railed against Trump, her former friend. 

‘We know all the old tricks and tropes that are designed to distract us from what actually matters,’ Winfrey told those gathered at Chicago’s United Center. ‘But we are beyond ridiculous tweets and lies and foolery. These are complicated times, people, and they require adult conversation. And I welcome those conversations because civilized debate is vital to democracy, and it is the best of America.’

Winfrey also took aim at comments Trump made last month, when he told supporters they ‘won’t have to vote anymore’ if they elect him because he will fix all their problems. 

‘Now, there’s a certain candidate that says if we just go to the polls this one time, that we’ll never have to do it again. Well, you know what? You’re looking at a registered Independent who’s proud to vote again and again and again because I’m an American. And that’s what Americans do. Voting is the best of America.’

Shortly after her speech, the Trump campaign posted a thank you letter that Winfrey wrote to Trump in 2000, suggesting he would be a good president and they would make a good team working together in politics.

‘I might have thought it back then,’ Winfrey said in a 2023 interview. ‘I might have thought it 23 years ago.’

Fox News Digital reached out to Winfrey for comment but did not receive an immediate response prior to publication.

‘This is typical. Many of the liberal celebrities attacking President Trump now used to love him,’ Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national press secretary, told Fox News Digital. ‘They only pretend to hate him now because he’s a Republican, and because they are phonies like Kamala Harris.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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RFK Jr’s running mate says Democrats are ‘terrified’ their campaign may join forces with Trump

RFK Jr’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, shared a post to X claiming that Democrats are ‘terrified’ their campaign may endorse Donald Trump.

In a post on X on Thursday, the independent VP pick said ‘My old Dem buddies have been flooding me with frantic calls, texts, and emails. Unlike Ro, I wouldn’t dream of airing those private conversations publicly, but the message is clear: they’re terrified of the idea of our movement joining forces with Donald Trump.’

‘When I point out what the Democratic Party and their super PACs have done to sabotage our campaign, their response is always, ‘but Trump is worse.’ Here’s an idea: stop suing us. Let us debate. Quit rigging the media and the polls. It’s a simple formula, people—get with it,’ the post concluded.

A source close to the campaign told the NY Post on Thursday that RFK Jr’s campaign suspension will be announced Friday in Phoenix, Arizona.

Shanahan joined Fox News @ Night on Tuesday, saying ‘You know, it’s Bobby’s decision. I came into this supporting him wholeheartedly to win this election. And I have to say, there’s only one party that has obstructed fair, a fair election for us. And unfortunately, it was the Democratic Party. They’ve done everything they can, including creating PACs to prevent us from being able to have ballot access.’

The Kennedy/Shanahan ballot has faced uphill climbs in order to get on the ballot state-by-state nationwide. Most recently, it faced a roadblock in New York State due to a residency dispute.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Business

Cryptocurrency ‘pig butchering’ scam wrecks Kansas bank, sends ex-CEO to prison for 24 years

The former CEO of a small Kansas bank was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for looting the bank of $47 million — which he sent to cryptocurrency wallets controlled by scammers who had duped him in a “pig butchering” scheme that appealed to his greed, federal prosecutors said.

The massive embezzlement by ex-CEO Shan Hanes in a series of wire transfers over just eight weeks last year led to the collapse and FDIC takeover of Heartland Tri-State Bank in Elkhart, one of only five U.S. banks that failed in 2023.

Hanes, 53, also swindled funds from a local church and investment club — and a daughter’s college savings account — to transfer money, purportedly to buy cryptocurrency as the scammers insisted they needed more funds to unlock the supposed returns on his investments, according to records from U.S. District Court in Wichita, Kansas.

But Hanes never realized any profit and lost all of the money he stole as a result of the scam.

Judge John Broomes on Monday sentenced Hanes to 293 months in prison — 29 months more than what prosecutors requested after he pleaded guilty in May to a single count of embezzlement by a bank officer.

During the sentencing hearing, “I called his actions ‘pure evil,’” said Brian Mitchell, who for years was Hanes’ next-door neighbor in Elkhart, a town of 2,000 or so people in southwestern Kansas, north of the Oklahoma panhandle.

Mitchell, whose farm and movie theater chain businesses banked at Heartland Tri-State, said there were around 30 shareholders in the bank who attended Hanes’ sentencing, more than a year after their stock value was wiped out in the failure.

“There were people who lost 70, 80% of their retirement” as a result of Hanes’ actions, Mitchell told CNBC on Wednesday in a phone interview.One local woman is “struggling to afford a nursing home” for her 93-year-old mother, while another woman “can’t retire” now because of the crime, Mitchell said.

Mitchell, who was not a shareholder but who belonged to the investment club victimized by the CEO, said Hanes showed little, if any, remorse for his actions, despite hearing victims tell the judge about the effects of his crime.

“Shan was facing the judge, and he just looked over his left shoulder for a second, and didn’t make eye contact, and said, ‘Sorry,’” Mitchell recalled, describing the scene in the courtroom. “And that was it.”

But Hanes had a look of “absolute shock” on his face when Broomes imposed the stiff sentence and ordered the former bank chief taken into custody immediately, Mitchell said.

Mitchell said that for years he considered Hanes a “good guy,” who like other people in Elkhart pitched in to help others in the small community when they needed help, and preached at his local church. Hanes also testified several times before Congress about community banking.

But prosecutors and bank regulators said that Hanes, who has three daughters with his school teacher wife, began stealing after being targeted in a pig-butchering scheme in late 2022.

That scheme was described in a court filing as “a scammer convincing a victim (a pig) to invest in supposedly legitimate virtual currency investment opportunities and then steals the victim’s money — butchering the pig.”

Hanes, who had served on the board of the American Bankers Association, and been chairman of the Kansas Bankers Association, in December 2022 began making transactions to buy cryptocurrency, which “appeared to be precipitated by communication with an unidentified co-conspirator on the electronic messaging app ‘WhatsApp,’” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

“To date, the true identity of the co-conspirator, or conspirators, remain unknown,” the filing notes.

Hanes initially used personal funds to buy crypto, but in early 2023 he stole $40,000 from Elkhart Church of Christ and $10,000 from the Santa Fe Investment Club, according to prosecutors and a defense filing.

He also used $60,000 taken from a daughter’s college fund, and nearly $1 million in stock from the Elkhart Financial Corporation, his lawyer said in a filing.

In May 2023, he began to make wire transfers from Heartland Tri-State Bank to accounts controlled by scammers, at first with a $5,000 transfer.

Two weeks later, on May 30, Hanes wired $1.5 million and a day after that, he sent another transfer of the same amount the following day, filings show.

Three days later he directed two wire transfers totaling $6.7 million to be sent by the bank to the crypto wallet, and a whopping $10 million less than two weeks later, and another $3.3 million days afterward.

Hanes told bank employees to execute the wire transfers, and “made many misrepresentations to various people” to get access to the funds so they could be transferred, prosecutors wrote. Heartland Tri-State employees circumvented the bank’s own wire policy and daily limits to approve Hanes’ wire transfers, according to a report by the Office of the Inspector General of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

“We believe that the CEO’s dominant role in the bank and prominent role in the community contributed to a reluctance on the part of Heartland employees to question or report the alleged fraudulent activities earlier,” that report said.

Prosecutors wrote that the series of 11 wire transfers from Hanes to the scammer “illustrate a common pattern” in pig-butchering schemes.

“First, there is an initial ‘investment’ followed by another transaction required to secure or guarantee those funds,” prosecutors wrote. “Further ‘investments’ may be made, but always require another need for funds, to guarantee or unfreeze the earlier transfers. This pattern is clearly represented in the defendant’s embezzlement.”

Mitchell confirmed that to CNBC, saying that he got a call from Hanes at 7:40 a.m. on July 5, 2023.

“He said, ‘Brian, I need your help, and you’re the only guy who can help me,’” Mitchell recounted.

Mitchell, who had survived prostate cancer two decades ago, said he thought Hanes was calling him to say that he had the same type of cancer.

But when Mitchell showed up at Heartland Tri-State to meet Hanes, before the bank had officially opened to customers that morning, the CEO told him something much different — and stranger.

“The first thing he says is, ‘Brian, I need to borrow $12 million for ten days, and I’ll give you $1 million for loaning it to me,’” Mitchell recalled. “I’m sitting there and I said, am I in a bank in Elkhart, Kansas, or in an alley with a loan shark in Chicago.”

When he asked Hanes what he wanted the money for, Hanes “pulls out his phone and acts like he’s logging in and he shows me this account that has $40 million, $42 million,” Mitchell said. “He said, ‘Brian, I’ve got this money and it’s in cryptocurrency, and I need $12 million to help verify the funds.’”

Hanes then hold him he had been in touch with a banker in Denver named “Jim” and “another guy in Oklahoma” and they had invested in crypto held in Coinbase accounts, where they had made a lot of money, Mitchell said.

“I told him, ‘You’re in a scam, dude. You’re in a scam,’” Mitchell said. “I stopped him and said, ‘Is this bank money you’re playing with?’ And he said, ‘No, Brian.’”

Hanes kept telling him he needed the $12 million to “activate” the funds he had already transferred to the crypto account, which he said was in Hong Kong, Mitchell recalled.

“I said, ‘Get on a plane, go to Hong Kong, hire an interpreter, and go get a bank check’” for the funds supposedly held there, Mitchell said. “Then I said, ‘I’m not going to loan you the money.’ I said, ‘You’re in a scam, walk away.’”

But later that same day, after Mitchell rebuffed his entreaties, Hanes had bank employees wire $8 million to the scammers’ accounts, prosecutors said in a court filing.

Two days after that, Hanes had employees wire the scammers another $4.4 million.

In the meantime, Mitchell, who was unaware of those transfers during that period, said that after meeting with the CEO he was worried that Hanes would get access to customers’ deposits at the bank and transfer the $12 million that he had asked for.

“We kept checking our lines of credit,” Mitchell said.

“The next week, I was in the bank, and one of the employees caught me, she just looked so stressed,” Mitchell said. The woman told him that Hanes had wired money out of the bank.

“I said, ‘Don’t say another word to me… I’ve got to talk to a board member,’” Mitchell said.

“And I talked to a board member that night, and he went to talk to an attorney that night,” Mitchell recalled.

Hanes was fired within days.

About two weeks later, on July 28, 2023, Heartland Tri-State was closed by the Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner was taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Shareholders were wiped out, but depositors did not lose any money, as Dream First Bank, National Association, of Syracuse, Kansas, assumed all deposits.

Heartland Tri-State, had nearly $140 million in total assets and $130 million in total deposits as of the prior March.

Word quickly spread that a scam had led to the bank’s failure.

But Hanes remained uncharged until last February, when he was charged by federal prosecutors with embezzlement. He was separately charged in Morton County, Kansas, state court by the county attorney in a 28-count complaint related to looting the bank.

Hanes was under house arrest until his sentencing in federal court this week.

“I talked to him last month when he was out mowing his yard,” Mitchell said.

Hanes, who had traveled at one point to Perth, Australia while being scammed to try to recover the funds he transferred, told Mitchell that he believed there had been a way to recover the money up to the point he was arrested.

“He said … ‘If I just had another two months I could get the money back,’” Mitchell recalled.

Mitchell said that at Hanes’ sentencing, Judge Broomes asked Hanes several questions about his actions, but, “He didn’t really have any good answers.”

Broomes later looked at the victims in the courtroom’s gallery before announcing Hanes’ sentence.

“He said … ‘I want you to forgive Shan. I know that he’s hurt you, I know this, but I want you to move on, and I want you to find some joy in your life. Let me discipline him,’” Mitchell recalled.

Broomes also told Hanes that although several people had noted how intelligent the former CEO was, “If you were that intelligent you would have stopped this,” Mitchell recounted.

Hanes’ lawyer John Stang, who did not respond to a request for comment, in a sentencing submission wrote, “Mr. Hanes made some very bad choices after being caught up in an extremely well-run cryptocurrency scam.”

“He was the pig that was butchered,” Stang wrote. “Mr. Hanes’s vulnerability to the Pig Butcher scheme caused him to make some very bad decisions, for which he is truly sorry for causing damage to the bank and loss to the Stockholders.”

Kansas U.S. Attorney Kate Brubacher, in a statement, said, “Hanes’ greed knew no bounds. He trespassed his professional obligations, his personal relationships, and federal law.”

“Not only did Shan Hanes betray Heartland Bank and its investors, but his illegal schemes also jeopardized confidence in financial institutions,” Brubacher said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Iowa football coach to serve one-game suspension for recruiting violation

IOWA CITY, Iowa − Longtime Iowa football head coach Kirk Ferentz had some big news to share Thursday afternoon. And he wanted to do it in person, not in a press release.

No, the third-winningest coach in Big Ten Conference history who turned 69 earlier this month wasn’t announcing his retirement. But there was another bombshell involving the most well-known person on the university’s campus. And the story didn’t make it until the scheduled press conference.

Ferentz and wide receiver coach Jon Budmayr will serve a one-game suspension for an NCAA recruiting violation involving what the school called ‘communications with a player and his family prior to him entering the transfer portal.’ The Athletic reported Wednesday the player was quarterback Cade McNamara, who transferred to Iowa after the 2022 season. Both Ferentz and Budmayr, who was an analyst for Iowa at the time, will miss the team’s opening game against Illinois State on Aug. 31.

“I frequently tell our players to abide by the rules, and in this instance, I did not.” Ferentz said in a statement released by the school detailing the punishment. “In 26 years as a head coach at Iowa — and more than four decades as a coach — this is my first potential Level II NCAA infraction. I made a mistake and would like to apologize to our players, University leadership, and our Hawkeye football fans. I know Coach Budmayr echoes those sentiments.”

In addition to game suspension, the school is also self-imposing a loss of one week of off-campus recruiting. Iowa said both penalties were decisions by the school as they wait for notification from the NCAA that this matter is closed.

“Coach Ferentz and I made the decision to self-impose the penalties, allowing the program to move forward without distraction,” Iowa athletics director Beth Goetz said. “I appreciate the accountability demonstrated and we will continue to fully cooperate with the NCAA through this process. I have confidence in Coach Ferentz and his leadership, and we look forward to turning our focus to the opening game and exciting season that lies ahead.”

McNamara entered the transfer portal on Nov. 28, 2022, according to reports, as a graduate student. He indicated in a podcast interview last year that he already knew where he was going at that time. He committed to Iowa on Dec. 1. McNamara has said his previous relationship with Budmayr, who is a former quarterbacks coach at Wisconsin, helped bring him to Iowa.

McNamara started Iowa’s first five games in 2023 before tearing an ACL against Michigan State on Sept. 30, 2023. He was announced as the team’s starting quarterback Thursday.

The suspension means Ferentz won’t on the Iowa sideline for the first time since he was hired as coach in December 1998. Ferentz has coached 315 games for Iowa, winning 196 of them – trailing only Woody Hayes (205 wins) and Amos Alonzo Stagg (199) as members of the Big Ten Conference. He passed Bo Schembechler (194) with last year’s 10-win season.

Ferentz had some foresight on this suspension, having announced Seth Wallace, 45, as his first-ever assistant head coach in January while hiking Wallace’s annual pay to $1 million. Wallace, who coaches Iowa’s linebackers and is assistant defensive coordinator, will presumably assume head-coach responsibilities against Illinois State.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Former first-round NFL pick dealt in rare trade between rivals

Jahan Dotson is getting a fresh start with a former rival.

The Washington Commanders are trading the wide receiver and a fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a third-round pick and two seventh-round selections, the Eagles confirmed Thursday.

Dotson, 24, was the No. 16 overall pick out of Penn State in 2022. But with coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters taking over for the previous regime, the 5-11, 182-pounder had not locked down the No. 2 receiver job behind Terry McLaurin.

‘(Quinn) didn’t draft me,’ Dotson said last week, according to the Washington Post. ‘Each and every year … in your profession, you got to prove yourself. You got to prove what you’re worth and what you’re capable of doing. That’s what I’m trying to do.’

In Philadelphia, Dotson is expected to compete for the No. 3 receiver role after no clear standout emerged in training camp behind top targets A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

All things Eagles: Latest Philadelphia Eagles news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

With Dotson out, the Commanders will be counting on Olamide Zaccheaus, third-round rookie Luke McCaffrey and Dyami Brown to take pressure off McLaurin and provide additional threats for starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft.

‘I was speechless,’ Brown said Thursday after the trade. ‘That was a weird one to experience. I didn’t really expect that one. But for him to go, I wish him the best of luck. We built that brotherly bond.’

The Dotson deal is the second rare NFC East intradivision trade in the last week following the Dallas Cowboys’ acquisition of defensive tackle Jordan Phillips from the New York Giants.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

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Penguins acquire college standout in swap of former first-round picks

NHL general managers had money to spend this offseason with the salary cap rising from $83.5 million to $88 million.

That led to a busy free agency season in which USA TODAY Sports’ top 25 players moved within three days.

Though things calmed down, there still were plenty of transactions. The Columbus Blue Jackets granted forward Patrik Laine’s trade wish, and the St. Louis Blues made offer sheets to two players from the Edmonton Oilers.

More deals could be on the way. Stars Leon Draisaitl, Sidney Crosby, Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen and Igor Shesterkin are eligible to receive contract extensions. Jeremy Swayman, Lucas Raymond, Seth Jarvis and Moritz Seider are among restricted free agents needing new contracts.

Here are the top NHL transactions that have occurred during the 2024 offseason:

Aug. 22: Penguins, Jets swap former first-round picks

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired the rights to University of Michigan winger Rutger McGroarty from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Moose Jaw center Brayden Yager. McGroarty (2022) and Yager (2023) were each drafted 14th overall.

McGroarty helped lead the Wolverines to the Frozen Four the last two seasons and was second on the team last season with 52 points in 36 games. He was the captain of the USA’s gold medal team at the 2024 world junior championships but hadn’t signed with Winnipeg.

Yager had signed an entry-level deal with the Penguins in July. He scored 95 points as Moose Jaw won the Western Hockey League championship last season.

Aug. 21: Blue Jackets re-sign Cole Sillinger for two years

The Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed center Cole Sillinger, 21, to a two-year, $4.5 million contract with a $2.25 million annual cap hit. He was a restricted free agent for the first time since being selected 12th overall in 2021 and didn’t have arbitration rights. Sillinger has 32 goals, 42 assists and 74 points in 220 NHL games over three seasons for the Blue Jackets, who now consider him one of their top three centers. – Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch

Aug. 20: Kraken re-sign F Matty Beniers to seven-year deal

The Seattle Kraken locked in their first-ever draft pick, forward Matty Beniers, on Tuesday with a seven-year, $49.98 million contract extension carrying an average annual value of $7.14 million.

A restricted free agent, Beniers, 21, was selected by Seattle, then an expansion team, with the second pick in the 2021 NHL draft.

Beniers made his NHL debut in 2022, playing 10 games and earning nine points (three goals, six assists). In his first full season, he recorded 24 goals, 33 assists in 80 regular-season games en route to winning the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year. Last season, he tallied 15 goals and 22 assists in 77 games. — Field Level Media

Aug. 20: Oilers don’t match Blues’ offer sheets

The Edmonton Oilers chose not to match the St. Louis Blues’ offer sheets to defenseman Philip Broberg (two years, $9.16 million) and forward Dylan Holloway (two years, $4.58 million) and will receive a second- and a third-round pick as compensation for the former first-round picks.

They also made a separate deal with the Blues, acquiring the rights to Notre Dame defenseman Paul Fischer and a 2028 third-round pick for future considerations.

The Western Conference champion Oilers picked up a defenseman, Ty Emberson (who previously played for coach Kris Knoblauch), and a forward, Vasily Podkolzin, in trades earlier this week. Edmonton is now about $946,000 under the salary cap, according to Puckpedia.

Aug. 20: Flyers to terminate Ryan Johansen’s contract

The Philadelphia Flyers, citing ‘a material breach,’ placed forward Ryan Johansen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. He has one year left at an $8 million salary ($4 million cap hit for the Flyers). Philadelphia took on his contract last season as part of the Sean Walker trade and he never played for the team because of a hip injury.

Kurt Overhardt’s agency, which represents Johansen, put out a statement calling the Flyers’ move ‘disappointing’ and indicating it would fight it.

Aug. 19: Canadiens acquire Patrik Laine from the Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets granted forward Patrik Laine his trade wish, and the Montreal Canadiens are adding a three-time 30-goal scorer to their young core. The Canadiens give up defenseman Jordan Harris, 24, but also receive a 2026 second-round pick and reportedly are taking on Laine’s full $8.7 million cap hit.

Laine, 26, totaled 110 goals in his first three seasons with the Winnipeg Jets and topped 20 goals twice with the Blue Jackets. But he has had injury issues recently and was in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program last season. If he can stay healthy and regain his form, he’d boost a Canadiens forward group that includes 25-and-under players Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach. Laine is signed through the 2025-26 season.

‘We want players that want to be Blue Jackets and Patrik made it clear that he thought a change of scenery was best for him,’ Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell. ‘We were able to acquire a good young player in Jordan Harris while maintaining financial flexibility in this deal, which was very important to us.’

Aug. 19: Predators’ Yaroslav Askarov seeks trade, per report

Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz told The Tennesseean, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the team expects goaltender Yaroslav Askarov to report to training camp when it opens in September.

Trotz was responding to a report from NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes that Askarov asked to be traded. Weekes also reported Askarov won’t report to the American Hockey League if assigned there.

One of the best young goaltending prospects in the NHL, Askarov is next in line for the Predators’ net behind Juuse Saros. But Saros signed an eight-year contract extension on July 1. – Alex Daugherty, The Tennessean

Aug. 18: Oilers make two trades ahead of decision on matching offer sheets

The Edmonton Oilers traded defenseman Cody Ceci to the San Jose Sharks, along with a third-round pick, for defenseman Ty Emberson. They also acquired forward Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks for a fourth-round pick.

The Oilers have until Tuesday to decide whether to match the St. Louis Blues’ offer sheets to defenseman Philip Broberg (two years, $9.16 million) and forward Dylan Holloway, (two years, $4.58 million). Ceci, a healthy scratch in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, has a $3.25 million cap hit and Emberson makes $950,000, so Edmonton saves $2.3 million in that deal. Podkolzin makes $1 million but spent 44 games in the American Hockey League last season.

Even with the savings, the Oilers would need more in order to match the offer sheets. But Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has reported that Evander Kane needs surgery. Edmonton would get cap relief if Kane goes on long-term injured reserve.

Ceci, 30, gives the Sharks another veteran, as they build around top draft picks Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.

Aug. 15: Jakub Vrana gets tryout offer from Capitals

The Washington Capitals have made a professional tryout offer to forward Jakub Vrana, who was on the 2017-18 Stanley Cup team. Vrana, 28, who will get a shot to make the team in training camp, had been traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 2021 in the Anthony Mantha deal and spent parts of the past two seasons with the St. Louis Blues.

Aug. 14: Maple Leafs name Auston Matthews captain

The Toronto Maple Leafs named Auston Matthews the 26th captain in franchise history and the first U.S.-born one.

Maple Leafs center John Tavares, named captain in 2019, said he decided it was time to pass the leadership mantle to the two-time 60-goal scorer.

‘This decision is a recognition of a maturation of a person who has shown a skill set that is special, unique and who has a relentless drive to win,’ Tavares, who’s entering the final year in his contract, said at a news conference. ‘In that, I believe Auston can become more and that he is ready for this honor and responsibility.’

Matthews, who was born in California and grew up in Arizona, is entering the first year of a four-year, $53 million contract that gives him the league’s top cap hit. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft.

‘To be a captain is truly special,’ said Matthews, who turns 27 next month. ‘For (Tavares) to call me and kind of let me know that he wanted to pass on the captaincy to me was very emotional.’

Aug. 14: Ryan Getzlaf joins NHL Player Safety department

The NHL Department of Player Safety said former NHL star Ryan Getzlaf is joining the staff of chief disciplinarian George Parros, his former Anaheim Ducks teammate. Getzlaf spent his entire career with the Ducks, winning a Stanley Cup in 2007, and was captain for 12 seasons. He retired in 2022 as the franchise’s leading scorer.

Aug. 13: Blues make offer sheets to pair of Oilers

The St. Louis Blues tendered offer sheets to a pair of Edmonton Oilers restricted free agents, defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said.

The Oilers have an Aug. 20 deadline to match the offers. If they don’t, they will receive draft picks as compensation from the Blues.

Broberg’s offer is for two years, $9.16 million and would require a second-round pick going to the Oilers should they decline to match it. Holloway, offered two years and $4.58 million, would return a third-round pick. – Field Level Media

July 31: Evgeny Kuznetsov signs with Russian team

SKA Saint Petersburg announced it had signed forward Evgeni Kuznetsov to a four-year contract with the Kontinental Hockey League team. Kuznetsov and the Carolina Hurricanes had agreed this offseason to terminate his contract. The 2018 Stanley Cup winner with the Washington Capitals was traded to the Hurricanes at the deadline after being cleared by the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program. Kuznetsov, 32, finishes his NHL career with 575 points in 743 games.

Also: The Montreal Canadiens signed defenseman Kaiden Guhle to a six-year, $33.3M contract extension.

July 30: Rangers sign Ryan Lindgren for one year

The final must-do item on the New York Rangers’ offseason agenda is complete.

They inked restricted free agent Ryan Lindgren to a one-year, $4.5 million contract, with details first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The 26-year-old defenseman was scheduled for an arbitration hearing Friday.

The Rangers were willing to go well above Lindgren’s $3.6 million qualifying offer in order to keep the deal short, prioritizing flexibility for next summer − when young core players such as Alexis Lafrenière, K’Andre Miller and Igor Shesterkin will be due for expensive new contracts − over a slightly lesser average annual value that likely would have resulted from offering more years.

It casts doubt about whether Lindgren will stick in New York beyond this coming season, but a one-year deal was the prudent decision given the expected 2025-26 salary cap crunch. – Vince Z. Mercogliano, lohud.com

Also: The Montreal Canadiens reached two-year deals with defensemen Arber Xhekaj ($1.3 million cap hit) and Justin Barron ($1.15 million cap hit).

July 29: Wild sign Brock Faber to eight-year extension

The Minnesota Wild signed rookie of the year runner-up Brock Faber to an eight-year extension. It kicks in during the 2025-26 season and will average $8.5 million. Faber, 21, tied for first among rookies in assists (39) and led rookies in average ice time (24:58) and blocked shots (150). His 47 points broke the Wild’s previous record for points by a rookie defenseman (Filip Kuba, 30 in 2000-01). 

July 29: Hurricanes sign Martin Necas for two years

The Carolina Hurricanes and forward Martin Necas agreed to a two-year deal ($6.5 million cap hit), avoiding arbitration. Getting him signed for more than a year is a positive for the Hurricanes, who lost forwards Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen to free agency. They also mutually agreed to terminate the contract of Evgeny Kuznetsov. Necas, 25, finished fourth on the team in goals (24) and tied for third in points (53). Carolina still needs to sign forward Seth Jarvis.

July 27-28: Blue Jackets sign two restricted free agents

The Columbus Blue Jackets and forward Kirill Marchenko avoided arbitration by agreeing to a three-year contract with a $3.85 million cap hit. The 24-year-old has topped 20 goals in his first two NHL seasons, totaling 44. A day earlier, the Blue Jackets had signed forward Kent Johnson to a three-year deal with a $1.8 million cap hit. Forward Cole Sillinger is the team’s last remaining restricted free agent.

July 26: Trade target Patrik Laine cleared by assistance program

Patrik Laine’s request to be traded by the Columbus Blue Jackets received a significant boost.

The Finnish forward was released from the NHL/NHL Players’ Association’s player assistance program, clearing him to personally speak with coaches, executives and players from around the league for the first time since entering the program Jan. 28 for undisclosed reasons.

Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell did not comment on Friday’s news but told the Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Tuesday he’s confident a trade for Laine can be worked out this summer. A big holdup in trade talks, according to Waddell, was Laine’s inability to speak with him or opposing GMs while in the NHL/NHLPA program. – Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch

July 25: Flyers’ Travis Konecny signs eight-year extension

Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny signed an eight-year, $70 million contract extension. The new deal, which is to begin in 2025-26, will make Konecny, 27, the highest-paid player on the Flyers’ roster. He had career highs in goals (33), points (68) and short-handed goals (six) in 76 games last season. He led the team in goals, assists and points. ‘There’s such a bright and exciting future with this team and I can’t wait to be a part of it for the next nine years and see what we will accomplish,’ Konecny said. – Field Level Media

July 24: Sabres agree to terms with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

The Buffalo Sabres avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to terms with goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on a five-year deal with a $4.75 million cap hit. The restricted free agent gets a big bump from last season’s $837,500 after setting career highs with 54 appearances, 27 wins and a 2.57 goals-against average. The Sabres will go with a young goaltending duo of Luukkonen, 25, and Devon Levi, 22, next season as they try to end a 13-season playoff drought.

July 24: Oilers name Stan Bowman general manager

New Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman is known both for his three Stanley Cup titles and for stepping down after a 2021 report criticized how the Chicago Blackhawks handled a sexual-assault complaint during their 2010 championship run. He was recently reinstated by the league. Bowman detailed the steps he took during his absence from the NHL and said, ‘I can tell you without a doubt that those things will never happen on my watch again.’

OILERS: What Stan Bowman, others said about Blackhawks scandal

July 23: Sabres agree to terms with Beck Malenstyn

Forward Beck Malenstyn, acquired from the Washington Capitals in an offseason trade, agreed to terms with the Buffalo Sabres on a two-year contract with a $1.35 million cap hit. He had filed for salary arbitration. Malenstyn is known for his defensive work, penalty killing and physical play. He led the Capitals last season with 241 hits while recording career highs with six goals, 15 assists and 21 points.

Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen also has filed for arbitration.

Also: The Toronto Maple Leafs and forward Connor Dewar agreed to a one-year, $1.18 million deal. He had filed for salary arbitration.

July 22: Blue Jackets hire Dean Evason as coach

The Columbus Blue Jackets have settled on a new head coach.

Dean Evason will run the Blue Jackets’ bench after agreeing to a multi-year contract to fill a void created by the June 17 firing of Pascal Vincent. Not counting interims, Evason, 59, becomes the 11th coach in the franchise’s 24-year history.

Evason steps into the role after veteran Todd McLellan removed himself from the search process earlier this month. Evason doesn’t have as much experience as an NHL head coach as McLellan, but handled that role with the Minnesota Wild for five years before he was fired in November. Evason went 147-77-27 in 251 games with the Wild, including four trips to the playoffs. – Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch

July 22: Joe Pavelski announces retirement

Joe Pavelski, who said in June he would take next season off, is retiring, he and the Dallas Stars announced. Pavelski, 40, finishes with 476 goals and 1,068 points in 1,332 career regular-season games between the San Jose Sharks and Stars. He’s the NHL’s leading U.S.-born playoff goal scorer with 74 and helped lead the Stars to back-to-back trips to the Western Conference final. Pavelski never won a Stanley Cup but he went to the Final in 2016 with the Sharks, scoring a playoff-leading 14 goals and four game-winners, and in 2020 with the Stars. He had been captain of the Sharks.

July 20: Canucks sign free agent forward Daniel Sprong

Winger Daniel Sprong’s deal with the Vancouver Canucks is for one year at a reported $975,000. He’s coming off back-to-back 40-point seasons despite averaging 11 to 12 minutes a night. He’ll add secondary scoring to a team that ranked sixth in goals per game last season. Sprong will get another chance to prove himself after the Seattle Kraken didn’t give him a qualifying offer in 2023 and the Detroit Red Wings let him go to free agency.

July 19: Red Wings, Joe Veleno reach deal, avoid arbitration

The Detroit Red Wings and forward Joe Veleno agreed to a two-year, $4.55 million contract, according to Sportsnet. He had filed for salary arbitration after getting a career-best 12 goals and 28 points in a bottom six role.

July 17: Hurricanes, Evgeny Kuznetsov agree to terminate contract

The Carolina Hurricanes placed forward Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. He cleared waivers and the contract was terminated, which will allow Kuznetsov to play in Russia. He had one year, at a $7.8 million cap hit, left on his contract. The Washington Capitals, who traded him to the Hurricanes last season, retained half of that, and both teams are now free of that cap hit.

The mutual decision brings another offseason change to the Hurricanes roster. They weren’t able to re-sign trade deadline acquisition Jake Guentzel and traded his rights to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he signed. Defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce and forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen left in free agency. Defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Matt Walker and forwards Jack Roslovic and William Carrier are among the offseason additions.

Kuznetsov spent time last season in the NHL/NHL Players’ Association assistance program and finished with only 24 points in 63 games. He scored a league-best 32 points during the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup run. He also was known for his goal celebration of flapping his arms like a bird.

The Hurricanes announced later in the day that they had re-signed forward Jack Drury to a two-year contract with a $1.725 million cap hit.

July 16: Kings re-sign Quinton Byfield

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft will get five years at a $6.25 million average. The Los Angeles Kings forward was a restricted free agent. The deal follows a breakthrough last season with a jump from three goals and 22 points to 20 goals and 55 points while being moved into a top six role. If he continues that progress, the deal will look good years from now.

Also: The St. Louis Blues said defenseman Torey Krug has been diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes in his left ankle and will be evaluated in six to eight weeks. If he needs surgery, he will miss the 2024-25 season. The team said the injury is a cumulative result of a bone fracture from earlier in his career. … Vancouver Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs signed a two-year contract. He was pressed into action in the playoffs after an injury to Thatcher Demko.

July 13: Rangers, Blue Jackets sign players

The New York Rangers re-signed defenseman Braden Schneider to a two-year contract with a reported $2.2 million cap hit. The Columbus Blue Jackets and goalie Jet Greaves settled on a two-year deal and avoided arbitration. It’s a two-way deal the first year that pays him less in the American Hockey League, but the second year is a one-way deal.

July 11: Utah’s Tij Iginla signs entry-level contract

Igina, the son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, was the Utah Hockey Club’s first draft pick, taken sixth overall in June. He had 84 points in 64 games last season with Kelowna of the Western Hockey League. Iginla and Detroit Red Wings selection are the 13th and 14th of June’s 32 first-round picks to sign a three-year, entry-level contract.

Also: The Lightning and defenseman J.J. Moser reached a two-year, $6.75 million contract, avoiding arbitration. He was acquired from Utah in the Mikhail Sergachev trade.

July 10: Ryan Suter signs with Blues

Defenseman Ryan Suter, 39, who was bought out for the second time in his career, signed a one-year, $775,000 contract. He can earn another $2.225 million in performance bonuses. The Dallas Stars bought out the final year of his three-year contract. He was bought out by the Minnesota Wild in 2021.

July 8: Capitals name Chris Patrick general manager

Chris Patrick becomes the seventh general manager in Capitals history after being promoted from associate GM. Brian MacLellan was promoted to president of hockey operations. Patrick is the son of Capitals chairman Dick Patrick.

The Capitals were one of the busier teams this offseason, trading for Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, Jakob Chychrun and Logan Thompson and signing Matt Roy, Brandon Duhaime and Taylor Raddysh.

July 6: Top two NHL draft picks sign

No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini (Sharks) and No. 2 pick Artyom Levshunov (Blackhawks) signed three-year, entry-level deals rather than return for another season at college. They could end up at different levels. Celebrini, who was the clear-cut No. 1 pick, is expected to open the season with the Sharks. Levshunov, depending on what happens in training camp, could start in the American Hockey League.

July 5: 14 players file for salary arbitration

Fourteen restricted free agents have filed for salary arbitration, the NHL Players’ Association announced.

They are (in alphabetical order): Jake Christiansen (Blue Jackets), Connor Dewar (Maple Leafs), Jack Drury (Hurricanes), Ty Emberson (Sharks), Jet Greaves (Blue Jackets), Ryan Lindgren (Rangers), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sabres), Beck Malenstyn (Sabres), Kirill Marchenko (Blue Jackets), J.J. Moser (Lightning), Martin Necas (Hurricanes), Spencer Stastney (Predators), Joe Veleno (Red Wings) and Oliver Wahlstrom (Islanders).

The key one is Necas, who has been linked to trade rumors. Moser and Malenstyn were acquired in offseason trades.

Hearings will be held from July 20 to Aug. 4, though nearly all players reach a settlement beforehand.

July 3: Kraken hires Jessica Campbell as assistant coach

Jessica Campbell made history when she was hired to join Dan Bylsma’s coaching staff on the Seattle Kraken.

She becomes the first female full-time assistant coach in NHL history to work behind the bench

Campbell, 32, made similar history in the American Hockey League when Bylsma hired her as an assistant coach with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in 2022. Bylsma, a former Stanley Cup winner, is bringing Campbell with him to the NHL after being named Kraken coach in May.

‘I just know that if the team has success and my impact is a good one, it could potentially open the doors for others,’ she said.

July 1-4: Early days of free agency

The Nashville Predators were among the winners by signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights lost key players early but have added back. On Day 3, the Detroit Red Wings signed two-time Stanley Cup winner Vladimir Tarasenko.

A look at the opening days of 2024 NHL free agency

June 24-July 1: Who was traded before free agency?

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals were busy on the trade front. The Lightning moved out Mikhail Sergachev and Tanner Jeannot, then acquired the rights to Jake Guentzel and signed him to a seven-year, $63 million contract. The Capitals traded for forwards Dubois and Mangiapane, defenseman Chychrun and goalie Thompson, moving out goalie Darcy Kuemper and Beck Malenstyn.

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‘Dancing with the Stars’ casts ‘pommel horse guy’ Stephen Nedoroscik

‘Pommel horse guy’ is headed to ‘Dancing with the Stars.’

ABC on Thursday announced that gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, the pommel horse specialist who became an internet sensation during the 2024 Paris Olympics, is joining the dance competition show for its 33rd season.

Nedoroscik, 25, was the first celebrity to be confirmed as a contestant on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 33, and he appeared Thursday on ‘Good Morning America’ to share the news.

The gymnast won a bronze medal on the pommel horse during the Paris Olympics and also helped secure a bronze medal in the team final. He was the subject of numerous internet memes, particularly after a moment where he looked like he was asleep.

‘Pommel Horse Guy is about to do the biggest Pommel Horse of his life and appears to be taking a peaceful nap. New #1 favorite Olympic athlete,’ one X post said.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

On ‘Good Morning America,’ Nedoroscik explained this was part of an effort to stay calm before the competition, and he teased viewers might see him utilize this strategy again on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’

‘It’s kind of what I do just to calm myself down, so I will probably be bringing that to the dance floor,’ he said.

Nedoroscik also told ‘GMA’ that he plans to bring gymnastic ‘flair’ to the dance competition.

Other memes compared Nedoroscik to a real-life Clark Kent due to his glasses. He previously said on ‘The Tonight Show’ that he had to turn the notifications off on his phone before the pommel horse final so he didn’t ‘get too absorbed’ in the attention he was getting online.

When does ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 33 premiere?

Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough are set to return as co-hosts of ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ while Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough will serve as judges. The full cast has not yet been revealed. The show’s most recent season featured celebrity contestants like Alyson Hannigan, Ariana Madix, Jamie Lynn Spears and Xochitl Gomez.

Season 33 of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ will premiere Sept. 17 on ABC and Disney+.

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Why this former Republican presidential candidate is at the Democrats’ 2024 convention

CHICAGO – It’s a sight you wouldn’t expect to see.

A longtime Republican who ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination making the rounds at the Democratic National Convention.

But that’s the case for former two-term Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

‘I’m doing media. I’m not here to endorse the Democratic nominee,’ Hutchison said in an interview this week with Fox News Digital. ‘This is my first Democratic convention.’

But Hutchinson, who waged an unsuccessful long-shot bid last year for the Republican nomination, shared, ‘I did go on the floor to see the Arkansas Democratic delegation here, and I want you to know that lightning didn’t strike and so everybody was safe.’

Asked if he felt out of place among a sea of Democrats, Hutchinson said ‘a little bit but at the same time, this is well reflective of American democracy that I’m greeted with a friendly fashion… This is a good part of politics that you can disagree but still be here and be welcomed.’

The former governor remains a very vocal GOP critic of former President Trump, who crushed Hutchinson and the rest of the field of challengers to cruise to the party’s nomination. 

Asked how he’ll cast his ballot in the presidential election, Hutchinson said he’s going to ‘write in a candidate, a good Republican candidate. It’s important to me to be a Republican and support the Republican cause.’

But he added, ‘We need to define it differently than Donald Trump and the rule of law is important to me. I said on the debate stage I’m not going to vote for a convicted felon. That still holds true.’

Since Vice President Kamala Harris a month ago replaced President Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket, Trump has repeatedly slammed the vice president as a far-left politician.

Hutchinson, pointing to a controversial plan by Harris to ban price gouging, said that in order to appeal to independent voters and dissatisfied Republicans, the vice president needs ‘to persuade them [voters] that her economic policy is not so far left and the argument about price controls is doing damage to her.

‘She needs to make clear that when she talks about her economic policy it’s a fight against price gouging, which attorneys general do all across America, and not price controls. She needs to make that clear either in her convention speech or elsewhere.’

He emphasized that ‘if you want to get independents, if you want to get swing voters and even some Republicans, you’ve got to show an economic policy that makes sense for America and doesn’t scare people.’

Hutchinson, a former federal prosecutor who later served in Congress and in Cabinet-level positions in President George W. Bush’s administration, dropped out of the White House race in January, the day after he finished a distant sixth in the Iowa caucuses.

Asked whether there’s another political chapter in his long career, he said, ‘I hope so.’

‘But right now I really want to teach. I’ll be teaching at the University of Arkansas Law School next semester. I’ll be doing some things on college campuses beyond that,’ he shared. ‘We’ll see what happens in the future.’

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On Trump calling Harris ‘comrade,’ top Democrat surrogates argue ‘that boat doesn’t float’

CHICAGO – Former President Trump has repeatedly argued that Kamala Harris is an ultra-liberal and has insulted the vice president as ‘comrade Kamala’ in the month since she replaced President Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket.

But top Harris surrogates argue that the attacks from the former president won’t fly with American voters.

‘That boat doesn’t float. It just doesn’t float,’ Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., told Fox News Digital on Thursday, hours ahead of the vice president’s nomination acceptance speech on the final evening of the Democratic National Convention, which is being held in Chicago.

Booker, a leading ally of Harris in the Senate, pointed to legislation he has co-authored with the vice president that they have successfully ushered through Congress and into law.

‘I know the things we’ve worked on together. And it’s not sexy stuff. It’s how you clean up the environment, so less people are dying of cancer. It’s how you help farmers out. . . . There’s so many pragmatic things that she’s worked on, and a lot of it is bipartisan,’ Booker said.

Booker also charged that Trump ‘is the barrier to pragmatic problem-solving. Kamala Harris is the antedote.’

First-term Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a rising star in the Democratic Party, was also asked about Trump’s efforts to paint Harris as a far-left politician.

‘I have learned not to spend much time listening to Donald Trump’s foolishness,’ Moore said.

Moore predicted that ‘what we’re going to hear from the vice president tonight, is actually a real vision of how we’re impacting everyday working families.’

And he argued that ‘what we’re hearing from Donald Trump is insults. So I think people are going to make the decision that that’s not the America they want to live in. That the America we hope for is bigger and better and greater than that. And so that’s why I’m confident that Kamala Harris is going to win in November.’

Two-term Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who was considered to be on the longer list of potential Harris running mates, told Fox News that he’ll be out on the campaign trail on behalf of Harris during the stretch run to the November election.

‘I’m going to be going to some swing states and speaking to Democrats and also to Independents, in Arizona for example. That’s just one of the many places that I’ll be,’ Pritzker told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

And Pritzker will also be campaigning on behalf of Harris and down-ballot Democrats on Labor Day in swing state New Hampshire, which Fox News was first to report last week.

The governor emphasized that ‘we’ve got to make sure that people understand that this election is the most important election of our lifetimes. And I mean that literally.’

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