Breaking
Wealth World News
Archive

2024

Browsing
Politics

7 reasons to fear Kamala Harris’ radical ‘Medicare-for-all’ schemes

Kamala Harris is a lifelong liberal with a health care platform to the left of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton combined. She promised that ‘Medicare-for-all is our goal’ and committed to abolish private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan.

Learning from Obama about the utility of lying to voters before you take away their health plans, she first allowed a limited exception for Medicare Advantage plans and more recently denied her previous positions. 

Make no mistake: Her radical ideas would put the government in charge of health care instead of doctors.

First, forcing everyone onto a government-run plan is like unleashing the bureaucracy of the DMV onto our health care sector, obliterating choice and competition. It forces 150 million Americans off their insurance, making workers give up popular plans provided by employers and unions. It ends the Medicare program for seniors, and ends private coverage for 30 million seniors with Medicare Advantage and 22 million seniors who supplement traditional Medicare coverage. 

Second, ‘Medicare-for-all’ requires unsustainable new spending. Claims that it saves taxpayer dollars were so egregious that even the left-leaning Washington Post gave them three Pinocchios. The program’s costs would range from $32.6 trillion to $44 trillion over a decade. This is an estimate of new spending – notwithstanding the Medicare trust funds that would be liquidated to fund ‘Medicare-for-all.’

Third, even with this astronomical new spending, ‘Medicare-for-all’ requires significant reductions in already low payments to doctors, nurses, hospitals and nursing homes, cutting $5.3 trillion over a decade. Providers would no longer be able to shift costs from Medicare to private payers, and could thus face 40% reductions from private insurance rates. Experts estimate this could result in 1.5 million job losses within the hospital sector. 

America is already facing an expected shortage of as many as 95,000 doctors and 63,00 full-time nurses by 2030. Shifting to ‘Medicare-for-all’ will only exacerbate these shortages and hurt patients, similar to how other single-payer systems have failed their citizens.   

Fourth, taxpayers would be on the hook for the increased costs even as Americans receive fewer care options. All businesses would be required, at minimum, to double their payroll taxes, which ultimately hits low-income workers the hardest. 

‘Medicare-for-all’ requires a plethora of additional taxes – ending the tax exclusion for health expenditures, ‘one-time’ taxes on businesses, new fees on financial institutions, new taxes on the wealthy, new estate taxes, and the list goes on. Harris has the audacity to say her plan will exempt those making under $100,000 from new taxes. 

Rather than increasing the true affordability of health care, ‘Medicare-for-all’ would leave families worse off, diminishing the average annual disposable income of a family on private insurance by $10,554. 

Fifth, promises of increased health care spending in single-payer systems have generally failed to achieve a higher quality of care. In countries like the United Kingdom and Canada, where there is coverage on paper but not in practice, patients are on year-long waiting lists, deprived of drug coverage, even basic drugs, and run to private insurance to get care. When a Canadian provincial government passed a prohibition on private health insurance, the Supreme Court struck it down, effectively saying that Canadians have a right to health care, not a right to waitlists.

In the United States, Medicaid expansions have tested the effect of unlimited, cost-free, government-run health care coverage. While studies find beneficiaries were able to access more providers or get financial assistance, the studies are more negative about the program’s ability to improve health outcomes. One found the program ‘generated no significant improvement in measured physical health outcomes,’ and another found that states that did not adopt Medicaid expansion had better mortality trends than those that did. 

Sixth, the one-size-fits-all ‘Medicare-for-all’ model doesn’t fit the unique needs of 330 million Americans. Other government-run health care systems block patient access to drugs until the government agrees on a price. When Vertex announced approval for their breakthrough treatment for cystic fibrosis, it took four years for British patients to get access. 

If Harris bans other payers or options for private care, there will be no release valve for patients to get care. Government-run health care sacrifices tomorrow’s innovations for today’s budget controls, with one CEO saying that they can no longer prioritize ‘innovation unfriendly’ Europe. 

Seventh, ‘Medicare-for-all’ promises to cover all individuals, using taxpayer funds to pay for health coverage for illegal immigrants. Recent projections estimate the cost would be $1.8 trillion over 10 years. Obama promised taxpayer funds would not subsidize health care for illegal immigrants, but the Biden-Harris administration has given states ObamaCare and Medicaid waivers to use tax dollars to pay for this care.

Harris and her fellow radical Democrats are the only people who think the problem with ObamaCare was that it did not do enough to raise taxes, increase government spending, and kick Americans off their health plans. Voters should believe her when she told them she intends to do more of all three.

Hannah Anderson is the director of the Center for a Healthy America at the America First Policy Institute.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Obama to headline 2nd night of Democratic National Convention

CHICAGO — Former President Obama will headline the second night of the Democratic National Convention under the banner of the Democrats’ ‘Bold Vision for America’s Future.’ 

The convention, which is being held at United Center, started Monday and runs through Thursday, when Vice President Harris will formally accept the Democrat presidential nomination with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The Democrats’ theme Tuesday night is ‘A Bold Vision for America’s Future.’ The night is expected to focus on how the Harris-Walz ticket intends to present a ‘brighter vision where everyone will have a chance not just to get by, but to get ahead.’ 

The Democrats have stressed that the 2024 presidential race ‘isn’t just a choice between two candidates.’ 

‘It’s a choice between two very different visions of America,’ the DNC said. ‘While Donald Trump believes our best days are behind us, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz know the best days lie ahead.’

On Tuesday night, the Democrats plan to draw a ‘stark contrast’ between their vision and former President Trump’s. 

Sources told Fox News Digital it was a group of Obama allies and former advisers who helped to lead the charge in calling on President Biden to drop out of the race last month, including his former adviser, David Axelrod, George Clooney, a personal friend of the Obamas, and others. 

Obama, who had Biden as his vice president for two terms, ultimately endorsed Harris after Biden exited the race, but not immediately. 

At first, Obama declared that the party would be ‘navigating uncharted waters’ but said he had ‘confidence’ that the Democratic Party would ‘be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.’

Obama later endorsed Harris, calling her a ‘happy warrior.’

Former first lady Michelle Obama is also expected to speak at the convention Tuesday night. 

Tuesday’s programming is also expected to include a speech from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker as well as an address by Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff.

The first day of the convention saw delegates voting on the 2024 Democratic Party platform, which laid out priorities for the party, but it still named Biden as the candidate running for re-election. 

‘President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats are running to finish the job,’ the 92-page document reads. 

The platform calls for overturning federal and state laws ‘that create barriers’ to abortion, continuing to advance green energy initiatives that can help slow climate change, capping low-income families’ child care costs and urging Congress to approve a pathway to U.S. citizenship for ‘long-term’ people in the country illegally.

The platform also said Israel’s right to defend itself is ‘ironclad’ while endorsing the Biden administration’s efforts to broker a lasting cease-fire deal that could suspend the fighting between Israel and Hamas. 

But outside United Center, hundreds of anti-Israel protesters gathered throughout the day Monday and are expected throughout the week in an effort to ‘send a strong message to Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.’ 

Groups were heard chanting ‘from the river to the sea’ — a chant that has been widely used at antisemitic protests around the country and is described by the American Jewish Committee as ‘a rallying cry for terrorist groups and their sympathizers.’

More anti-Israel demonstrators descended on the convention center as officials anticipate seeing as many as 100,000 protesters during the week.

Biden addressed the convention Monday night in a speech that the White House said represented a ‘fulfilling moment’ for the president as he ‘passed the torch’ to Harris.

Biden suspended his re-election campaign in a stunning move amid pressure from within the Democratic Party after a disastrous debate performance against Trump in June. 

The unprecedented announcement to exit the race came as an increasing number of Democrat lawmakers and top Democrats began to publicly call for Biden to step aside. The party’s leadership was also engaged in efforts to convince Biden, 81, he could not win in November’s general election against Trump. 

Biden quickly offered his ‘full support and endorsement’ for Harris to take over as the party’s presidential nominee. 

Fox News’ Emma Colton and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Trump says Kamala Harris will not participate in Fox News debate on Sept. 4

Former President Trump said Monday night that Vice President Kamala Harris’ team told his campaign that she would not participate in a Fox News presidential debate on September 4.

The proposed debate would have been held in Pennsylvania and moderated by Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

‘I am not surprised by this development because I feel that she knows it is very difficult, at best, for her to defend her record setting Flip-Flopping on absolutely everything she once believed in, including her statements that THERE WILL BE NO FRACKING IN PENNSYLVANIA and her HORRIBLE Performance on the Border,’ Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

The former president had initially been reluctant to debate Harris after President Biden suspended his re-election campaign because she was not the Democratic Party’s official candidate before later agreeing to debate her once she secured the party’s nomination for president.

Trump and Harris have both confirmed they would participate in a Sept. 10 debate on ABC News. Trump previously said he also agreed to an NBC News debate on Sept. 25. 

The Harris campaign has said it would consider a second presidential debate in October. Both campaigns have also agreed to a vice presidential debate on CBS News on Oct. 1 between Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance.

‘Voters deserve to see the candidates for the highest office in the land share their competing visions for our future,’ Harris’ campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement last week. ‘The more they play games, the more insecure and unserious Trump and Vance reveal themselves to be to the American people. Those games end now.’

In place of the Fox News debate, Trump says he will participate in a town hall in Pennsylvania with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Put policy aside: Kamala Harris will win or lose based on the excitement factor

Kamala Harris’s first big policy speech did not exactly draw rave reviews from a media establishment that largely seems to adore her.

But with the Democratic convention getting under way, does that matter?

Perhaps the most stinging criticism came from the Washington Post’s mostly liberal editorial board, which declared that ‘unfortunately, instead of delivering a substantial plan, she squandered the moment on populist gimmicks.’

That may well be true. But again, does it really matter?

Policy is crucially important as voters weigh how the candidates would govern for the next four years. It’s especially vital because Harris suddenly emerged as the substitute nominee in a three-month campaign – not a ‘coup,’ as Donald Trump says – when Joe Biden was pressured into stepping aside.

But as ideologically different as the two nominees are, I believe policy will play a relatively minor role in 2024.  

Josh Barro, in the Atlantic, says a crackdown on price-gouging will make things worse and be virtually impossible to enforce: 

‘The substance likely won’t appeal to many people who actually know about economics. But it’s hard for me to argue with the politics….

‘Harris is trying to win a presidential election, and to win elections, you run on popular ideas.’ 

By the way, while I agree that going after price-gougers won’t work–groceries already operate on very thin margins–I see the Harris proposals as being mischaracterized as wage and price controls. I lived through Richard Nixon doing just that in the early 1970s and it was a disastrous failure. Harris isn’t saying the government should set prices for all products, though I can see why that’s a useful attack line for the Trump campaign.

I also agree with the Post’s editorial page that the vice president is offering all kinds of expensive goodies – such as a $25,000 down payment for first-time home buyers – without explaining how to pay for them. As the paper notes, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget says her overall plan would add $1.7 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. That’s sobering stuff.

But I don’t believe this election will turn on policy. Harris, who’s done a strikingly skillful job of handling her first three weeks, is drawing big crowds, raising a fortune and rising in the polls because she brings youth, vigor, excitement and, her favorite word, joy.

Harris is, among other things, a cultural phenomenon and a TikTok sensation. Much of what she’s proposing now is largely symbolic and will never pass, but she’s sending a message that she’s laser-focused on reducing inflation on kitchen-table issues for middle-class families (and distancing from Bidenomics).

That doesn’t mean she’s going to win. Trump still has an easier path to 270. The VP still has to win Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, even though a New York Times/Sienna College poll shows her closing the gap or statistically tied in four Sun Belt states – Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada.

Harris remains, as she says, the underdog.

But if Kamala does pull it out, it will be because key voters, especially women, are drawn to her personally. And in the end, that’s how most elections are won.

In 2016, when everyone expected a Hillary victory, Trump ran on a few key issues – especially immigration and crime – but he won because of his image as a relentless fighter, not to mention an entertaining one. 

After the eight-year Obama presidency, enough voters were drawn to Trump’s culture war–and the media were criticized for carrying his rallies!–that the Democrats’ Midwestern blue wall collapsed.

Running against a 59-year-old woman of color–and a hostile press corps–seems to have thrown Trump off his game. While insisting he is ‘entitled’ to make ‘personal attacks’ against Harris–despite advice from the likes of Lindsey Graham–the former president has continued to denigrate the vice president, rightly noting that she and her campaign are ripping him as well. That’s the Trump pattern. 

 

And after journalists and commentators kept insisting that Joe Biden had the mental acuity for another four years, the press has now flipped to spotlighting every mistake by the 78-year-old Trump. Man, does Trump miss Biden – he keeps talking about how Joe was unfairly deposed – because he spent years preparing to run against the frail 81-year-old president.

Trump has in fact become the old man in the race, but this is sheer media hypocrisy.

Imagine how depressed the Democrats and the pundits would be if Biden had stuck it out and was speaking in Chicago as the nominee, headed for certain defeat. Instead, they’re swept up by Kamala fever.

And most of the mainstream media, having pounded the president for avoiding interviews, are largely uninterested in whether Harris does any. She’s getting a total pass. The veep did take questions for about 4 minutes the other day, the second time she’s done that, but largely because Trump and his allies keep ripping her as a Teleprompter candidate. 

Trump openly says he wants to define Harris as a communist, so he dredges up far-left positions she took four years ago as if those are her current positions, a game played by both sides. But she left the opening by not explaining her flip-flops (or, more charitably, evolution). Policy may matter to that extent. We’ll also see after the convention whether her numbers are a ‘sugar high,’ meaning the inevitable bump may soon bring her back to earth.

Keep in mind that Harris still hasn’t done an interview. Nor, for that matter, has Tim Walz, while JD Vance is working the Sunday shows and holding pressers.

The reason: with such a docile press corps, which Harris prefers to brief off the record on Air Force 2, it’s working for her.

One more thing: While Harris largely ducks the press, MSNBC refused to cover the second of Trump’s two news conferences in about a week, with Nicolle Wallace saying such events ‘have been less about the issues and the news lately, as if they ever were, and more about threats and lies and demeaning people.’ CNN bailed for awhile when Trump read off blue cards for 40 minutes, then jumped back in when he took questions. Only Fox carried the whole thing (and has been airing some of Kamala’s rallies!).

Trump has also been tying Harris to the unpopularity of the Biden-Harris record, which is a common problem for VPs who don’t have the ability to set policy on their own.

MSNBC’s all-liberal lineup for big events – Rachel Maddow, Joy Reid, Lawrence O’Donnell, Chris Hayes – hates Trump with the heat of a thousand suns. They basically don’t think he should ever be allowed on the air because it hurts their reputation (and, not coincidentally, ticks off their audience). 

Instead, they talk about Trump all day, and they have the next 22 hours to point out falsehoods and exaggerations.

So by that logic, why wouldn’t they blow off his convention speech as well? 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Emotional Joe Biden passes torch to Kamala Harris ending 5 decades in elected office

– In what may be one of the last major speeches of his decades-long political career, President Biden on Monday night handed the reins of the party to Vice President Kamala Harris as he spotlighted their administration’s accomplishments over the past three and a half years.

Speaking in front of a jam-packed United Arena, site of the Democratic National Convention, the president declared ‘America, I gave my best to you,’ as the crowd of party officials and delegates, activists, and supporters repeatedly gave Biden sustained ovations and chants of ‘thank you, Joe.’

Praising his vice president, Biden said that ‘selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made before I became when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career.’

‘She’s tough, she’s experienced, and she has enormous integrity, enormous integrity. Her story represents the best American story,’ the president highlighted.

And he asked the crowd are ‘you are ready to vote for freedom. Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? Let me ask you, are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, President and Vice President of the United States.’

Biden repeatedly took aim at former President Trump and the threats he said the Republican presidential nominee posed to America’s democracy and international alliances. And looking to his vice president and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, he pledged to be ‘the best volunteer Harris and Walz have ever seen.’

Harris and Walz and their spouses, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz, joined the president, First Lady Jill Biden and their family, at the podium following Biden’s address, in a clear sign of party unity.

The president’s speech came four weeks and one day after his blockbuster announcement that he was ending his own White House bid and endorsing his vice president to replace him on the party’s 2024 ticket in the election showdown against former President Trump.

Biden’s disastrous performance against Trump in their late June debate fueled questions over whether the 81-year-old president had the physical and mental abilities to handle another four years in the White House and sparked a chorus of calls from within his own party to end his 2024 campaign.

Biden eventually caved to the pressure, announcing the suspension of his re-election campaign three days after the Republican National Convention ended with a solidified GOP ticket of Trump and running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. 

Biden spoke in front of a crowd that included plenty of politicians who publicly urged or maneuvered behind the scenes for the president to drop out of the race, as his support in public opinion polls began to fade following his debate showdown with Trump.

Since Harris succeeded Biden, the vice president has been riding a wave of energy, with a jump in polling and fundraising as the battle with Trump is once again a margin-of-error race.

As Harris has surged, Trump has increasingly attacked the Democrats for what he charged was ‘a vicious COUP’ against Biden.

‘Crooked Joe Biden was told, ‘Sorry Joe, you’re losing to Trump, BIG, and you can’t beat him – You’re Fired,’ the former president claimed Monday in a social media post.

But Biden in his speech aimed to dispel any notion that he was angry about changing course and giving up his bid for a second term in the White House.

‘You see, it’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president. I love the job, but I love my country more,’ Biden said. ‘And all this talk about how I’m angry [at] all those people who said I should step down — that’s not true.’

With five months left in his presidency, the speech was not billed as a farewell address, but it did in some ways have the feeling of a swan song, as he touted his administration’s accomplishments.

But Biden also pointed to the work he has left – including supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia and securing a cease-fire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas to end the deadly war in Gaza.

Outside the security zone surrounding the arena, anti-Israeli protesters marched throughout the day. And inside the United Center, a small group of delegates protesting Biden’s handling of the war briefly held up a banner that read ‘stop arming Israel.’ But delegates quickly blocked them with ‘We Love Joe’ signs and drowned them out. 

At one point, pointing to the rising death toll, Biden said the ‘protesters have a point.’ 

Speaking minutes before Biden at the convention podium was former Secretary of State, former senator, and former first lady Hillary Clinton, the Democrats’ 2016 presidential nominee. 

Clinton, in her speech, blasted Trump, praised Biden, and said that Harris has the ‘character, experience and vision to lead us forward.’

The speeches by Clinton and Biden – the party’s two previous standard-bearers – symbolized how the Democrats old guard was passing the torch to a younger generation.

Harris, in a brief surprise appearance from the podium earlier in the evening, praised her boss.

‘I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president,’ she emphasized. ‘Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Biden says DNC anti-Israel agitators ‘have a point,’ rips Trump as ‘not worthy’ of Oval Office

– President Biden delivered his highly anticipated address to the Democratic National Convention late Monday night and touched on a variety of subjects including strong criticisms of former President Trump and the conflict between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization in control of Gaza.

‘Those, those protesters out in the street, they have a point,’ Biden told the crowd in the United Center after anti-Israel protesters marched on the convention calling for an end to the U.S. support of Israel. ‘A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.’

‘We’re working around the clock,’ Biden said. ‘To end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally, finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war.’

‘We’re working around the clock. My Secretary of State, to prevent a wider war and reunite hostage to their families and surge humanitarian, health and food assistance into Gaza. Now. To end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally, finally deliver a cease-fire and end this war.’

In the same speech, Biden repeated the claim that Trump said there were ‘fine people’ on ‘both sides’ of the 2017 Charlottesville protest which has been debunked by several fact checkers.

Criticizing Trump was a major theme in Biden’s speech, which did not conclude until after midnight on the East Coast.

‘I never thought I’d stand before a crowd of Democrats and refer to a president who’s a liar so many times,’ Biden said. ‘Now, I’m not trying to be funny. It’s sad.’

Biden also hit Trump on abortion and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, warning that Trump ‘is going to find out the power of women in 2024.’

‘Now, where Trump is MAGA Republican, right-wingers seek to erase history,’ Biden said. ‘We Democrats continue to write history and make more history. I’m proud. I’m proud to have kept my commitment to appoint the first black woman in the United States Supreme Court. Ketanji Brown Jackson. A symbol for every young woman in America that you can do anything.’

Biden also renewed the allegation that Trump called military members who had died in battle ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’, which Trump and sources present at the time have said did not occur. 

‘Who in the hell does he think he is?’ Biden said. 

‘Who does he think he is? There’s no words for a person. There are not the words for a person not worthy of being commander in chief. Period. Period. Not then, not now, and not ever. I mean that I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Just as no commander chief should ever bow down to a dictator, the way Trump bowed down to Putin, I never have. And I promise you, Kamala Harris will never do it, will never bow down.’

Praising Harris was another theme in the speech which Biden did several times.

‘Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made before I became when I became our nominee, and it was the best decision I made my whole career,’ Biden said. 

‘We’ve not only gotten to know each other, we’ve become close friends. She’s tough, she’s experienced, and she has enormous integrity, enormous integrity. Her story represents the best American story.’

Biden, who appeared to shed a tear after walking out on stage following an introduction from his daughter Ashley, said Harris will be ‘a president we can all be proud of’ before mentioning the Capitol Hill riots on January 6th.

‘This will be the first presidential election since January 6th,’ Biden said. ‘On that day, we almost lost everything about who we are as a country and that threat. This is not hyperbole. That threat is still very much alive.’

‘Donald Trump says he will refuse to accept the election result if he loses again. Think about that. He means it. Think about that. He’s probably seeing a bloodbath if he loses. In his words, and that he’ll be a dictator on day one. In his own words, by the way, this sucker means it. No, I’m not joking. Think about it.’

Biden told his supporters that the ‘power’ is ‘literally’ in your hands.

‘History is in your hands, not hyperbole,’ Biden said. ‘It’s in your hands. America’s future is in your hands. And because of this, nowhere else in the world could a kid with a stutter and modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Claymont, Delaware grow up to sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

Look past the tributes, Joe Biden has been shuffled aside now in every sense of the word

After an interminable delay, President Joe Biden finally took the stage Monday on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention, declaring that ‘democracy has prevailed.’ 

Ironically, he handed his party’s nomination to Kamala Harris, a candidate who had earned precisely zero votes – and whose previous bid for the White House imploded well before the first votes were cast.

Four years after setting records by winning more votes than any other U.S. presidential candidate and less than a month after his ‘voluntary’ withdrawal from the presidential race (a contest where he had received more than 14 million votes), Biden delivered a fiery, near hour-long stemwinder before being shuffled aside in every sense of the word. 

Instead of an entire convention to nominate him for a second term, Biden’s speaking slot was the proverbial kiddie table, stretching well past midnight and happening three days before his second-in-command took the stage.

It was an unthinkable series of events prior to the June debate, an ignominious and humiliating ending for a man who has been a fixture in Democratic circles for more than half a century (literally, folks, as Biden would say. He won his first term in the U.S. Senate in 1972 – the same year as Richard Nixon’s landslide reelection). 

Now, his future, ‘holds a presidential library and retirement in Delaware,’ as Axios put it.

Along the way, Biden was subjected to such over-the-top tributes and ‘tears of joy’ (in the words of Sen. Amy Klobuchar) from many of the same people who not long ago were colluding  behind closed doors to kick him to the curb. 

Take former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Weeks after orchestrating the plot that led to Biden’s exit, Pelosi suggested his likeness belonged on Mt. Rushmore. The two have reportedly not spoken since the incident, and the president remains ‘unhappy’ about events, according reporting from the New York Times. Hard to blame him, and not something the ‘We Heart Joe’ sign the former speaker was spotted holding Monday night will make up for.

Speaking of the Gray Lady, after running not one but two separate editorials urging him to step aside, they lauded Biden for putting, ‘the national interest above his own pride and ambition,’ when he heeded their call.

Or his former governing partner, Barack Obama, who, eight years after discouraging his second in command from seeking the presidency against Hillary Clinton in 2016, was said to believe that Biden needed, ‘to seriously consider the viability of his candidacy’ after the June debate.

With friends like these, it’s no wonder the Bidens are jetting off to California rather than sticking around Chicago.

For all the talk about Harris’ ‘joy’ and the Democrats’ momentum, remember this: Joe Biden beat a talented field of candidates in 2020, including the person vying to replace him. The last Harris presidential run was so lackluster she dropped out in December 2019 – more than a month before the first voters were cast.

In that sense, she shares a place in history with Biden, who was forced to withdraw from his first presidential bid in 1988 amid plagiarism allegations after only three months as a candidate. 

As vice president, the early reviews on Harris were rough. The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that Democratic lawmakers and donors questioned keeping Harris on the ticket’ with Biden.

It took two more tries for Biden to win the big prize, a valuable reminder that running for the highest office in the land is not easy. Only 46 people in American history have accomplished the feat, including the Republican nominee and the man who took the stage last night for the Democrats.

As the festivities kick off in Chicago, Biden can say he kept his promise (albeit unwillingly) about serving as a ‘bridge’ candidate. It’s still an open question about where that bridge leads.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Blue Jackets grant three-time 30-goal scorer’s trade wish

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. 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.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Tyler Reddick speeds past William Byron to win NASCAR race in Michigan

Tyler Reddick held off William Byron in overtime Monday afternoon to win the rain-delayed FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Reddick looked to be in control after passing Kyle Busch on Lap 175, but Martin Truex got loose and hit the wall in Turn 4, bringing out the yellow flag with just six laps to go. The incident marked the fifth time this season a caution flag has come out with Reddick leading in the final stage of a race.

The caution also pushed the finish past the scheduled 200 laps into overtime. But a spinout from Ross Chastain prompted another yellow flag and another restart with Byron in front.

Starting from the inside lane, Reddick slid past Byron to take the lead and, ultimately, the checkered flag. It was Reddick’s second win of the NASCAR season, following up an earlier victory at Talladega.

Byron finished second, followed by Ty Gibbs, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski.

What are the standings after the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan?

With his victory in the FireKeepers Casino 400, Tyler Reddick vaulted to the top of the standings with two regular season races remaining. Sixteen drivers will make the playoffs, and 12 drivers have already clinched automatic berths with a victory. Here is the projected playoff outlook following the race at Michigan (standings still unofficial):

FireKeepers Casino 400 race recap

Here’s how Monday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan unfolded:

Pit strategy, key pass push Tyler Reddick to front

Tyler Reddick passed Kyle Busch on the inside of Turn 1 with 25 laps to go – in a move that could lead to his second victory of the NASCAR season.

Smart two-tire pit strategy put Reddick, Busch and William Byron in prime position behind a number of cars that still needed to pit over the final laps.

Once those cars came down pit road, Reddick assumed the lead on Lap 188.

Corey LaJoie goes airborne

The fifth caution of the day was the most dramatic as Corey LaJoie made contact with Noah Gragson on the backstretch and turned sideways on Lap 135.

Even though the roof flaps on his car flared up, LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevy still flipped over, soared into the air and skidded along the track before hitting the infield grass and tumbling several times.

‘That’s just about the way the year has gone. We have a good car and I find a way to flip it upside down. Twice this year, we’ve been upside down and I haven’t been upside down in my whole career,’ LaJoie said on the NBC broadcast.

‘It was a ride, buddy. There’s sparks and dirt and all sorts of stuff coming in … I think we had a top-12, top-10 car all day and I hate ending up on a roof.’

Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and William Byron lead the field as the race goes back to green with 56 laps remaining.

Major pileup concludes Stage 2 with Kyle Busch in front

An ill-fated decision to pit under caution took Kyle Larson from the front to the middle of the pack, where his car wobbled and created a chain-reaction crash with multiple cars suffering damage.

‘Restarts are difficult here with the side drafts and all that,’ Larson told the NBC Sports broadcast after he was discharged from the infield care center. ‘Bummer. We had an extremely fast car. I hate that I screwed that up for our team as well as the others out there that I got collected in it.’

Playoff contenders Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher, along with Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, Daniel Hemric and Todd Gilliland were all involved as several cars skidded to a stop in the infield.

Kyle Busch won his first stage of the season as he maintained the lead under caution.

Caution flag flies as Stage 2 draws to a close

After the cars cycled through their pit stops, Kyle Larson came out ahead of Martin Truex Jr. to claim the lead with 16 laps remaining in Stage 2. But with 13 laps remaining in the stage, the yellow caution flag came out when three different cars experienced tire issues.

Joey Logano, A.J. Allmendinger and Todd Gilliland all blew rear tires. Fortunately, no other cars suffered any damage as those three cars were all able to slide to safety.

Several of the leaders used the caution period to hit pit road.

Running order (through 114 of 200 total laps):

(1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
(8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
(54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
(6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
(3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

Afternoon racing underway in Michigan

Chase Elliott took the green flag with the lead on Lap 10 of Stage 2 as the drivers restarted the race Monday morning. However, Kyle Busch – who could go through the season winless for the first time in his 20 seasons on the NASCAR Cup circuit – moved ahead a few laps into the proceedings.

Martin Truex Jr. overtook Busch for the lead to hold it through the stage’s midpoint.

Two-time Michigan winner Denny Hamlin moved to the back of the field for the restart after taking on fuel during the warmup lap.

What time does NASCAR Cup race at Michigan start? 

The FireKeepers Casino 400 will resume at 11 a.m. ET on Monday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. 

How to watch NASCAR Cup race at Michigan

USA Network will broadcast the conclusion of the race Monday, with live streams available on NBCSports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo.

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Michigan? 

The FireKeepers Casino 400 is 200 laps around the 2-mile track for a total of 400 miles. The race features three segments (laps per stage) – Stage 1: 45 laps; Stage 2: 75 laps; Stage 3: 80 laps.

On Sunday, 51 of the 200 laps were completed. Ryan Blaney earned the Stage 1 win and led eight laps.

What is the weather forecast for the NASCAR race at Michigan? 

According to the AccuWeather forecast, it appears that weather will not be a factor at Michigan International Speedway on Monday. 

The forecast calls for sunny skies and breezy conditions. The temperature is expected to be around 68 degrees with winds out of the north-northwest at 13 mph. 

How many drivers have won NASCAR Cup races in the 2024 season? 

Thirteen drivers have won races this season, but only 12 have clinched playoff berths after NASCAR penalized Austin Dillon, who won last week’s race at Richmond Raceway, by stripping his playoff berth after he wrecked Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the final lap. 

Three races remain in the regular season, including Sunday’s race at Michigan, with four playoff berths still available. A win locks up a playoff spot, but a few drivers could still make the playoffs on points. 

2024 winners (points in parentheses): Kyle Larson 4 (779); Denny Hamlin 3 (758); Christopher Bell 3 (701); William Byron 3 (678); Ryan Blaney 2 (702); Tyler Reddick 1 (774); Chase Elliott 1 (773); Brad Keselowski 1 (636); Alex Bowman 1 (615); Joey Logano 1 (557); Daniel Suarez 1 (497); Austin Cindric 1 (451); Austin Dillon (319) – Dillon lost his automatic playoff berth. 

Winless drivers on the bubble to make 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?

If no other winless drivers reach victory lane in the next three races, these five drivers are in position to claim the final four playoff spots on points. Their totals before Sunday’s race at Michigan:

13. Martin Truex Jr.: 662 points, +78 above the cutline 
14. Ty Gibbs: 602 points, +18 above the cutline 
15. Bubba Wallace: 587 points, +3 above the cutline 
16. (tie) Chris Buescher: 584 points 
16. (tie): Ross Chastain: 584 points 

What races remain in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season? 

Saturday, Aug. 24: At Daytona International Speedway, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC) 
Sunday, Sept. 1: At Darlington Raceway, 6 p.m. ET (USA Network) 

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Little League World Series: Monday’s highlights

The Little League Classic is over. The Tigers defeated the Yankees, 3-2, on Sunday night. Now that that’s over, we can get back to what Williamsport is really all about: The best 12-year-old baseball players in the world at the 2024 Little League World Series.

Sunday brought a myriad of eliminations, but today determined the four teams left standing in both the U.S. and international winners brackets. That’s right: The winners of today’s games are just three straight wins away from the Little League World Series championship, where they will go head-to-head with the winners of the opposing bracket for Williamsport immortality.

Here is how the day played out with scores, highlights, and the latest updates from today’s LLWS games.

Little League World Series: Tuesday schedule

All times Eastern

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

Venezuela vs. Aruba, 1 p.m. | Volunteer Stadium | ESPN
Loser of Nevada/Hawaii vs. Pennsylvania, 3 p.m. | Lamade Stadium | ESPN
Mexico vs. Loser of Chinese Taipei/Cuba, 5 p.m. | Volunteer Stadium | ESPN
New York vs. Loser of Florida, 7 p.m. | Lamade Stadium | ESPN

Texas moves on with 4-1 win over Florida

The Southwest region is heading on after a strong performance behind Julian Hurst who could still pitch again if Texas wins on Wednesday, which would mean a Saturday berth for the U.S. championship.

Hurst commanded the day with a complete game, allowing just three hits and one earned run. He had 10 strikeouts and has his team cruising into Wednesday’s matchup with Nevada. For Florida, they get one more shot at staying in the tournament with a game Tuesday vs. New York.

Norton closes door on fifth inning

Right on cue, Norton comes in and gets a pair of efficient at-bats. A strikeout and fly to right and Southeast is up to what could be their final at-bats.

Southeast change pitchers

Lathan Norton is on the bump as Bibaud gets a rest after 26 pitches. In 2.1 innings of work this tournament, Norton has five strikeouts and no walks.

Texas hold ’em

Julian Hurst got the job done in the top of the fifth. With a nice cushion, the pitcher induced contact, including a screamer to shortstop. But Texas’s defense had his back, getting a 1-2-3 inning. We are headed to the bottom of the fifth with the score 4-1, Texas.

Florida bounces back nicely

After surrendering a crooked number in the third, Bibaut looked solid in the fourth. He allowed one runner to get on base but then forced weak contact after weak contact. Florida had tons of double play opportunities, but they were never able to turn two.

Still, a goose egg is exactly what Florida needed after to gain some momentum. It remains 4-1 heading into the fifth.

Texas tacks on another

Bibaub came in and plunked the first batter he faced. After that though, he calmed down a bit. He struck out Texas’ next hitter, but then surrendered a single to left. Fortunately for Florida, only one run came home. Florida was able to get the ball in quick and nearly got the runner at third while he was rounding the base.

After three innings, Texas leads 4-1.

Texas takes the lead on wild pitches

Texas finally started getting to Florida starting pitcher JJ Feliciano in the third inning, loading the bases with only one out. Florida opted to bring in Luis Calo, but Calo threw two straight wild pitches to bring in two runs for Texas. That was all Florida needed to see. Calo came out after just seven pitches, and in comes the lefty Jacob Bibaub.

Texas leads 3-1 in the bottom of the third, with one out and a runner on third.

Taiwan 10, Cuba 2

It looked like Cuba was going to take this one early on. For four innings, Taiwan couldn’t get anything going. Cuba was leading 2-1 for most of the game. The moment starting pitcher Yans Espinosa was removed from the game though, Taiwan’s bats came to life. The team erupted for nine runs in just two innings. Cuba failed to score after the first.

Taiwan advances to face Japan in the next round. That game will happen on August 21. Cuba will take on Mexico in an elimination game tomorrow night.

Texas ties game up in bottom of the first

After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, Texas answered back after Cooper Hastings drilled a one-out single to drive in the tying run.

Taiwan adds more in the 6th

Cuba is going to have a mountain to climb in the bottom of the sixth after Lin Sheng-Kai drilled a base hit to left center with two out to extend Taiwan’s lead to 6-2.

Taiwan would add two more on the inning, after a miscommunication between Cuba’s left and center fielders allowed a ball to drop with the bases loaded. That extended Taiwan’s lead to 8-2.

Taiwan would go on to add two more when all was said and done. That’s nine runs in two innings for Taiwan, all but sealing the win for them.

Taiwan with a GRAND SLAM!

The pitching change did not do Cuba any favors. Another walk would load the bases, and before you knew it, Taiwan’s starting pitcher Chiu Wei-Che delivered a rocket to center field that barely scraped over the wall. That’s all he needed though. In one swing of the bat, Taiwan went from down one, to up three. They lead 5-2.

Taiwan threatening in fifth

As if on cue, Cuba decided to move off Yans Espinosa. In his place came Dennis Zamora, who walked each of the first two players he faced. That was all Cuba manager Everaldo Machado needed to see to make another change. At first, Machado wanted to go with Deivy Hernandez, but Hernandez wasn’t eligible to pitch until Tuesday, having already thrown 74 pitches in a win earlier in the tournament.

Instead of Hernandez, Alejandro Vazquez came in from short to pitch. He’ll look to keep Cuba’s slim lead.

Taiwan, Cuba locked in pitcher’s duel

Although Cuba got off to an early lead, it’s been almost nothing but crickets since, with both Cuba’s Yans Espinosa and Taiwan’s Chiu Wei-Che have been lights out. Taiwan has been able to add a run to bring the game within a single run, but it’s been strikeouts and weak grounders all over the yard. Heading into the fifth inning, Cuba leads 2-1.

Taiwan with a 9-3 putout

Cuba wasn’t threatening as much in the second inning, but with two outs and a man on first, they lined a single into right field. At least, it would’ve been a single if Taiwan’s right fielder didn’t come up ready to get the runner at first. That’s exactly what happened. A rare 9-3 putout ended Cuba’s second inning.

It’s still 2-0 Cuba heading into the third.

Error gives Cuba the lead

With a runner on first, Cuba’s Deivy Hernandez dribbled a soft grounder toward second base. Starting pitcher Chiu Wei-Che underhanded the ball to first, but it bounced off the first baseman’s glove. That put runners on second and third with no outs. Cuba took advantage with Leonardo Junco drilling a single to left field to drive in the game’s first run.

That was followed with a sac fly in foul territory down the right field line. After all that, Cuba still had a runner on second with only one out. Cuba would not be able to bring home more runs, but a two-run lead in the first is nothing to scoff at. Heading into the second, it’s 2-0 Cuba.

Cuba avoids damage in the first

Things got off to a rocky start for Cuba starting pitcher Yans Espinosa. In fact, Taiwan was able to get the bases loaded with just one out. A shallow fly ball and groundout to first kept Taiwan off the scoreboard though.

Cuba will take their first swings, with the game still scoreless.

Nevada 3, Hawaii 2

With one out and a runner on first, Hawaii’s Jet Pontes struck out and in the middle of the strikeout, the runner on first, Leyne-Santos took off for second. He was tagged out at second, and Nevada got the win!

Nevada moves to 2-0 on the tournament, winning with just five hits compared to Hawaii’s nine. They’ll take on the winner of the Southeast-Southwest matchup later tonight.

Nevada takes the lead

Some pitching miscues and a hit batter led to a bases-loaded scenario for Nevada. They cash in on a walk to take the lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. Hawaii has a tall task in a tightly contested ball game so far. Nevada has a 3-2 into what might be the final half inning.

Hawaii answers back

Hawaii doesn’t feel pressure. With just six outs to play with, Hawaii was able to manufacture a tying run with a ground ball after maneuvering a runner to third. Hawaii nearly took the lead later in the inning, but a great play by second baseman Gunner Beranek kept the score tied. It’s 2-2 heading into the sixth.

Hawaii with crucial error

After the clutch double from Brextyn Hong, he may have just cost his team a run. With a runner on first for Nevada, a ground ball to Hong at third ended up in right field after an errant throw. What should’ve been two outs with a runner on first turned into first and third with one out.

Liam Sparks would follow that up with a sharp ground ball to first. Hawaii first baseman Hayden Takahashi had trouble getting it right away, and that allowed the runner from third to score. Hawaii would get out of the inning soon after, but the damage had been done. In a low-scoring affair, a one-run lead is massive for Nevada. They lead 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Hawaii ties it up

Some very clutch hitting has tied this contest up! With two outs, Hawaii’s Evan Tavares was able to snag a base hit. No damage, but then Brextyn Hong smacked a double to the left field wall. That drove in Tavares, and although the team wasn’t able to drive Hong in, it allowed Hawaii to knot the game at 1 heading into the fifth.

Nevada continues to threaten

Despite Hawaii’s dominance in the tournament so far, it’s been Nevada constantly threatening to break away in this game. The top of the fourth started off with a single down the left field line. Then, a one-out single pushed the runner to third.

Fortunately for Hawaii, pitcher Gauge Pacheco was able to get the second out via strikeout, and then made a nice play on the mound to get Parker Soranaka at first after he tried to bunt for a single. Hawaii still trails 1-0.

Nevada strikes first

Nevada takes a 1-0 lead over Hawaii after Luke Lentz laced a line drive down the left field line with the bases loaded. The runner from second attempted to score, but Hawaii was able to gun the runner down at the plate. Nevada still has two on with runners at the corners and two outs for Liam Sparks.

Gunnar Gaudin escapes jam

Facing a very tough Hawaii team, Nevada starting pitcher Gunnar Gaudin escaped an early jam, allowing Hawaii to put runners on first and third with no outs. Gaudin then forced Hawaii’s hitters to popout, strikeout, and flyout in that order. Somehow, Nevada stays tied with Hawaii, 0-0 after one.

Japan defeats Venezuela, 2-1

Yuki Tsuji slams the door with two strikeouts book-ending a single in his relief of Iwashita. Japan hands Venezuela its first defeat since the team was assembled in March and advance to the semifinals of the international bracket. They’ll play the winner of Chinese Taipei vs. Cuba on Wednesday.

Venezuela is still alive in the tournament. They’ll play Aruba on Tuesday in the elimination bracket.

Joshua Durán keeps Venezuela alive

Facing a full count with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, the left fielder fights off a foul ball then knocks a base hit back up the middle. Venezuela has the tying run aboard and the winning run at the plate with two outs.

Iwashita Ks his last batter

The Japanese starter reaches his pitch limit and finishes off his last hitter with a strikeout looking. He finishes the day with 5 1/3 innings pitched, one run allowed, one walk and 11 strikeouts. Japan brings in Yuki Tsuji with a 2-1 lead and two outs to get to close out the game.

Yepez works scoreless sixth

It’ll all come down to the bottom of the sixth. Yepez allows one single in the top of the frame but nothing else. Venezuela faces a one-run deficit entering the final half inning with a trip to the international winners’ bracket semifinals on the line.

Iwashita escapes jam

Iwashita struck out three batters in the fifth inning, bringing his total to 10 on the day. His last one is a strikeout looking to strand runners on the corners with two outs, preserving Japan’s 2-1 lead entering the final frame.

Jhonson Freitez gets things going for Venezuela in the fifth

Leading off the bottom of the fifth inning, Freitez hammers the first pitch he sees to deep right-center field. He narrowly misses a game-tying home run but settles for a double to get something going for his team.

Yepez runs down Tanaka to end scoring threat

Venezuela executes the first-and-third baserunning defense perfectly. With Tyuyoshi Ito attempting to steal second after a walk, catcher Jesús Díaz fakes out Sho Tanaka with a hard throw back to the pitcher. As Tanaka tries to take off for home, Yepez catches the ball and runs him down in the third baseline.

It’s still 2-1 Japan, but Venezuela eliminates a serious scoring threat in the top of the fifth.

Iwashita breaks the tie after wild pitch

A Yepez fastball narrowly misses Sora Okamoto’s head and smacks against the backstop. Iwashita scores on the wild pitch and gives Japan the 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth.

Luis Yepez relieves Willians Mora

After Mora allows the first two runners on in the fifth inning (HBP, walk), Yepez – the hardest-throwing pitcher in this year’s tournament – takes the mound for Venezuela. ESPN clocks his first two fastballs at 76 and 79 miles per hour, respectively.

Iwashita rolls through a perfect fourth inning

The pitchers’ duel continues. Against the top of Venezuela’s order, Iwashita gets a swinging strikeout, a fly out and a ground out. It’s still 1-1 as this game heads to the final two frames.

Mora works scoreless fourth inning

This game is shaping up to be a pitchers’ duel. In a second inning of work – and his first full inning – Mora strikes out two batters swinging and gets a fly out to right field to keep the score tied, 1-1.

Taiyo Honryo gets his redemption at third base

One batter after a run scored on a difficult grounder to third, Honryo smothers another hard-hit ball his way and steps on third to record the third out. Japan gets out of the inning with one run allowed.

Simón Vicheria gets Venezuela on the board

With runners on the corners and two outs, Vicheria smacks a grounder past the third baseman to score José Pérez from third. It ties the game up at one run apiece.

Willians Mora enters for Venezuela

Mora, who hit 80 miles per hour with his fastball against Mexico on Friday, enters for starter Biarreta in the third inning. With two runners on and two outs, the reliever strikes out the first batter he faces looking on four pitches. It’s still a one-run game in favor of Japan as Venezuela prepares to bat in the bottom of the third.

Iwashita strikes out two more in perfect second

The starter is up to five strikeouts in two innings. He got one swinging and one looking before inducing a ground out to finish a 1-2-3 second inning. Japan still leads, 1-0, heading into the third.

Japan gets on the board first

A Taiyo Honryo double and Sho Tanaka walk preceded a Yuzuki Ozawa double that scored one run for Japan in the top of the second inning. Biarreta avoided any more trouble, but it’s 1-0 Japan as the bottom of the second begins.

Kanta Iwashita strikes out three in scoreless first

Iwashita, Japan’s ace starting pitcher, gets two swinging strikeouts and a strikeout looking to work through a scoreless first inning. His only bit of trouble was a fly-ball double to center field that the fielder misplayed. This game is still knotted at zero through one.

Diego Biarreta works perfect first inning

Venezuela’s starting pitcher threw 15 pitches and struck out a batter looking in a clean first inning.

Japan and Venezuela set to begin Monday’s winners’ bracket play

The two teams have yet to lose in the international bracket in Williamsport. Something has to give with a trip to the international bracket’s semifinal on the line.

Aruba defeats Australia, 11-0 (4 innings, run rule)

Arnold Martha hammers a two-RBI double to the wall in left-center field, bringing in enough runs to hit the run-rule mark and walk it off for Aruba.

The Caribbean Region champions continue on in the elimination bracket and will play the loser of Monday’s Japan-Venezuela game on Tuesday. Australia is eliminated with their second loss of the tournament.

Spencer Dobb enters for Australia

An Antonie Croes single made it 9-0 Aruba, and it’s late enough in the game for the 10-run rule to take effect. So with two runners on and one out in the bottom of the fourth, Dobb takes the mound for Australia.

Aruba takes advantage of wild pitches

Three wild pitches in a Diliano Raven at-bat end up allowing two more runs to score for Aruba. It’s 8-0 for the Caribbean Region champs with still just one out in the fourth.

Nishant Toledo smacks an RBI single

Toledo hammers a line drive right past Gainsford’s head and into center field. It brings home another run for Aruba, which now leads 6-0.

Henry Kransen adds on to Aruba’s lead

Kransen is able to go inside-out on the second pitch he faces, knocking an opposite-field base hit to right field that brings home two runs. It’s 5-0 Aruba.

Emma Gainsford enters to pitch for Australia

Gainsford, the 23rd girl to ever play at the LLWS (and the only one this year), enters to pitch in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded and one out. She is the eighth girl to ever pitch at the LLWS.

Croes escapes trouble in the fourth

Australia gets runners on the corners with two outs, but Croes keeps the shutout intact by inducing a ground out to first base to end the inning. It’s still 3-0 Aruba.

Finn Kennedy wins long at-bat battle

Kennedy fouled off six straight pitches to survive an 0-2 count to lead of the fourth inning for Australia before knocking a base hit to center field for a single.

Noah Whittle rolls through perfect third inning

Two ground outs bookend a pop out from Aruban batters, giving Whittle his first 1-2-3 inning of the day in the bottom of the third.

Antoine Croes enters for Aruba

Arnold Martha hits a 35-pitch limit carried over from Sunday, so Aruba’s manager makes a pitching change. Martha finished with five strikeouts, no walks and one hit allowed in 2 2/3 innings. Antoine Croes enters in relief and strikes out the first batter he faces.

Stellar defense keeps Aruba off the board

Excellent defense from Australia defined the bottom of the second inning. After a base hit and bunt single, Aruba had runners on first and second with no outs.

Then, Australian third baseman Ethan Cross dove to his right, snagging a ground ball before stepping on third for the first out. One batter later, Cross got another putout when catcher Fletcher Dobb threw out a runner trying to steal third. Pitcher Noah Whittle finished up the inning with a strikeout looking.

Aruba vs. Australia resumes play

Sunday’s suspended game resumed in the top of the second inning with two outs, a runner on first for Australia and an 0-2 count to Will Bennett. Aruba’s pitcher, Arnold Martha, threw one pitch – a looking strike – to end the inning as the game resumes.

2024 Little League World Series: Time, TV, streaming and how to watch

All 39 games of the Little League World Series will be broadcast on one of ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC, with streaming options including ESPN+, the ESPN app and Fubo, which offers a free trial. Coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET.

Stream the Little League World Series with Fubo (free trial)

How many teams have been eliminated from the LLWS?

The LLWS started with ten teams in both the international and U.S. brackets. Since the start of the LLWS, seven teams have been eliminated. That number should be eight, but due to weather delays during the elimination game between Aruba and Australia on Sunday, that game was suspended. That game will resume Monday.

As it stands, Aruba leads Australia, 3-0, in the top of the second inning.

When is the LLWS championship game?

The LLWS championship game is slated for Sunday, Aug. 25, at 3 p.m. ET. The third-place consolation game will take place the same day at 10 a.m. ET.

The international and U.S. championship games — which serve as the semifinals to Sunday’s championship game — will take place on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. ET, respectively.

How does the Little League World Series work?

The Little League World Series is split into two brackets: the United States bracket and the international bracket. Each bracket will play out their own individual tournaments, with the winner from each bracket facing each other in the championship.

The U.S. and international brackets are double-elimination brackets, meaning a team must lose twice before it is eliminated from the tournament.

Little League World Series: Aug. 19 schedule

All times Eastern

Australia 0 – 3 Australia, resumes in the top of the second inning at 10 a.m. | Volunteer Stadium | ESPN2
Japan vs. Venezuela, 1 p.m. | Volunteer Stadium | ESPN
Nevada vs. Hawaii, 3 p.m. | Lamade Stadium | ESPN
Chinese Taipei vs. Cuba, 5 p.m. | Volunteer Stadium | ABC
Florida vs. Texas, 7 p.m. | Lamade Stadium | ESPN

The 2024 U.S. Regional Champions

Great Lakes – Hinsdale Little League – Hinsdale, Illinois
Metro – South Shore Little League – Staten Island, New York
Mid-Atlantic – Council Rock Newtown Little League – Newtown, Pennsylvania
Midwest – Sioux Falls Little League – Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Mountain – Paseo Verde Little League – Henderson, Nevada
New England – Salem Little League – Salem, New Hampshire
Northwest – South Hill Little League – Puyallup, Washington
Southeast – Lake Mary Little League – Lake Mary, Florida
Southwest – Boerne Little League – Boerne, Texas
West – Central East Maui Little League – Wailuku, Hawaii

The 2024 International Regional Champions

Asia-Pacific – Kuei-Shan Little League – Taoyuan City, Chinese Taipei
Australia – Hills Little League – Sydney, New South Wales
Canada – Whalley Little League – Surrey, British Columbia
Caribbean – Aruba Center Little League – Santa Cruz, Aruba
Cuba – Santa Clara Little League – Villa Clara, Cuba
Europe-Africa – South Czech Republic Little League – Brno, Czech Republic
Japan – Johoku Little League – Tokyo, Japan
Latin America – Cardenales Little League – Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Mexico – Matamoros Little League – Tamaulipas, Mexico
Puerto Rico – Radames Lopez Little League – Guayama, Puerto Rico

Past Little League World Series results

Teams from the United States have dominated the Little League World Series as of late, having won each of the last five dating back to 2017. The last international team to win the tournament was Japan, who beat Lufkin, Texas 12-2 in just five innings in the 2017 final.

List of past winners:

Results date back to 2010 LLWS.

2023: El Segundo, Calif.
2022: Honolulu
2021: Taylor, Mich.
2020: Canceled due to COVID
2019: River Ridge, La.
2018: Honolulu
2017: Tokyo
2016: Maine-Endwell, N.Y.
2015: Tokyo
2014: Seoul, South Korea
2013: Tokyo
2012: Tokyo
2011: Huntington Beach, Calif.
2010: Tokyo

LLWS bracket and schedule

Here is the full 2024 LLWS bracket, courtesy of the Little League World Series:

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By