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Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, has died at the age of 74 following a battle with pancreatic cancer, her office announced Friday night.

‘Today, with deep grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas,’ her office said in a statement.

Jackson Lee, who has been representing Texas’ 18th congressional district for 30 years, said last month she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

‘A fierce champion of the people, she was affectionately and simply known as ‘Congresswoman’ by her constituents in recognition of her near-ubiquitous presence and service to their daily lives for more than 30 years,’ the statement continued.

She previously battled breast cancer, having been diagnosed in 2011, before announcing the following year she was cancer free.

‘A local, national, and international humanitarian, she was acknowledged worldwide for her courageous fights for racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights, with a special emphasis on women and children,’ her office said.

Prior to her time in Congress, Jackson Lee served as a judge before she was elected to an at-large Houston City Council seat in 1989.

Last year, she ran an unsuccessful campaign for Houston mayor, losing by a wide margin to then-state Sen. John Whitmire, also a Democrat, before announcing she would seek re-election in Congress.

‘Her legislative victories impacted millions, from establishing the Juneteenth Federal Holiday to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act,’ her office stated.

‘However, she impacted us most as our beloved wife, sister, mother, and Bebe (grandmother),’ the statement continued. ‘She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice, and democracy. God bless you Congresswoman and God bless the United States of America.’

Lawmakers mourned the congresswoman’s death after learning of her passing Friday night.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Jackson Lee was an ‘inimitable force for change and a warrior for justice over the course of her historic, trailblazing career.

‘Sheila Jackson Lee was an accomplished legislator, passionate public servant, loving mentor and wonderful friend to so many of us in the Congressional Black Caucus and House Democratic Caucus family,’ Jeffries said in a statement. ‘I am grateful for her fearless advocacy, fierce determination, formidable service and legacy of leadership. Rep. Jackson Lee will be deeply missed by so many in her district and throughout the nation. Our prayers are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time. May she forever rest in power.’

The Congressional Black Caucus said Jackson Lee was a ‘titan’ and ‘stalwart member of Congress.’ The congresswoman was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

‘Jackson Lee was a patriot and a fighter to the very end,’ the Congressional Black Caucus said in a statement. ‘Words cannot express the sense of loss our Caucus feels for our beloved friend. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.’

She is survived by her husband, Elwyn Lee, and her two children, Jason and Erica.

The congresswoman’s funeral arrangements are pending.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

One sports career is in disheartening decline. The other is in exhilarating ascendance. Born in different centuries, Tiger Woods and Caitlin Clark are going in opposite directions.

Yet, while one is 26 years older than the other, they do have much in common. It’s as if their thrilling careers have been running on parallel tracks a generation apart.

How often over the past year and a half, since Clark’s rise to her immense popularity, has the rush to buy tickets to see her or national obsession to watch her on TV reminded us of someone else? And when we thought about it, and landed on who that someone might be, wasn’t it Tiger?

Woods, 48, brought millions of new fans to the game of golf. Clark, 22, is bringing millions of new fans to women’s basketball. In both cases, most of these fans never watched or cared about the sport before Woods or Clark arrived. Grandmothers who didn’t like golf started planning their Sundays around Woods’ final-round tee time. Grandfathers who usually scoffed at women’s sports began arranging their afternoons or evenings around tipoff of Clark’s Iowa or Indiana Fever games.

Quickly the masses realized these weren’t just terrific athletes, they were entertainers daring to pull off breathtaking shots (and in Clark’s case, breathtaking passes) that no one else in their sport could. And they were doing it in a way that particularly appealed to the newcomer to the sport: often set apart from the other athletes, appearing on the TV screen alone, so visually approachable.

The parallels don’t end there. While a good portion of the nation was falling in love with them, they both had their doubters: peers and pundits who couldn’t believe someone so young could rise to the top of their sport so quickly, make the leap from the amateur or college world to the professional ranks and succeed almost immediately.

Two-time U.S. Open champion and longtime golf commentator Curtis Strange was interviewing the 20-year-old Woods, playing as a professional for the first time in Milwaukee in August 1996, when Woods said he wanted “a victory” in his first pro tournament.

Strange smiled. “You’ll learn.” 

In less than two months, Woods won his first PGA Tour event in Las Vegas. In April 1997, at 21, he won the Masters, the first of his 15 major titles.

“I said what the world was thinking at the time,” Strange said in a phone interview the other day. “I have to laugh now. I’m the first one to say, I was the one who learned. We all learned very quickly and we all admitted it.”

Woods had Strange; Clark had legendary WNBA veteran Diana Taurasi. At the 2024 Women’s Final Four, in which Clark led Iowa to its second consecutive NCAA final, losing to South Carolina, Taurasi looked ahead to Clark’s WNBA career and said, “Reality is coming.”

In the three and a half months since Taurasi said those words on ESPN, Clark has become one of the best players in the league while facing more defensive attention than any other WNBA player and playing the toughest schedule.

On Wednesday, she set the WNBA single-game assist record with 19. That’s not a rookie record. That’s the most assists in a game in league history. In that game, she scored or assisted on 66 points for Indiana, the most ever in a WNBA game. She is the WNBA leader in assists per game and is in the top 20 in the league in points, rebounds, blocks and steals per game. 

After she and the Fever beat Taurasi’s Phoenix Mercury last month, Taurasi changed her tune. 

“It’s amazing,” she said. “What Caitlin’s been able to do in her short career so far has just been nothing short of remarkable.”

It turns out reality was coming for the WNBA, not for Clark. 

For Strange, who said he watches “every second” he can of Clark’s games, it’s easy to see what’s happening. 

“Quickly the WNBA players are learning with Caitlin what we all learned with Tiger,” Strange said. “Both of them had tremendous resumes coming up but we all know the jump from amateur to professional is the largest leap of your life, so how was that person going to transform from that to that? In both cases they did it so well.”

Golf TV ratings soared for more than two decades with Woods and only now are falling back to earth. The story is similar for Clark — the soaring part, not the falling part — with women’s college and pro basketball, with a significant caveat: Men’s golf already was an established, mainstream sport pre-Tiger due to the popularity of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, among others. Woods then lifted it into the stratosphere. Women’s basketball has had great stars for decades but has been largely ignored by the male-dominated sports TV and media establishment. So this is all uncharted territory, led by Clark.

“It’s the whole package,” Strange said of Woods and Clark. “The TV camera likes them, which means we’re going to like them. It’s the smile, it’s the look, it’s the fitness, it’s the way they go about it. With Caitlin, she comes across mid-court and you can’t take your eyes off of her. It’s like going to a Mike Tyson fight, don’t go to the bathroom in the first round, you’re gonna miss the knockout. Don’t take your eyes off her when she crosses mid-court because it might go up from anywhere.”

Clark’s maturity is obvious as she tries to grow her sport

There also are some noteworthy differences between Woods and Clark, especially as role models. Until very recently, Woods never wanted to sign autographs before or after a round of golf and generally disliked his time around the media. 

Clark on the other hand wades into crowds of parents and children, many waving signs and wearing her No. 22 jersey, before and after every game, home and away, signing scores of autographs and posing for dozens of selfies. 

And interviews? She is often available to the media two or three times a day on game days, and seems to enjoy the back-and-forth no matter how mundane it might be.

In this way, a young Tiger often acted his age, and the golf media accepted it. Clark never has acted her age. She’s 22 going on 40. Maybe 50. Her poise and maturity in the glare of the national spotlight has been so admirable, and women’s basketball and all women’s sports are better because of it. 

Why does this matter? Clark sees herself as someone who wants to grow her sport, and talks constantly about how important it is to her to encourage young girls — and boys — to play basketball as well as other sports. If we had a dollar for every time she mentions “girls and boys,” well, we would have a lot of dollars by now. 

But she does focus extensively on female athletes, which she knows is essential considering the massive gap between men’s and women’s sports in this country in terms of TV ratings, TV rights deals, player salaries and professional opportunities. 

It is fitting that in April, she reposted this tweet from The Sporting News: “The final three games of Caitlin Clark’s career at Iowa all broke the record for most-watched women’s college basketball game (fire emoji)” The post on X, formerly Twitter, continued with these numbers: 12.3 million vs. LSU, 14.2 million vs. UConn and 18.7 million vs. South Carolina.

Clark added this underneath the tweet: “18.7 MILLION (fire emoji)”

That’s the viewership total that beat the men’s NCAA final by nearly 4 million, an unthinkable achievement until Clark arrived on the scene.

As a Black man in a lily-white, exclusive, country-club sport, Woods largely preferred to not speak out on societal and cultural issues. Early on, a 1996 Nike ad about him did make waves: ‘There are still golf courses in the United States that I cannot play because of the color of my skin,” it said, but not long after it appeared, Woods decided to avoid most controversial topics for the length of his time at the top of the game. 

It was of course his right to do that, but the result, all these years later, is illuminating. The diversity many golf leaders hoped Tiger would produce has failed to materialize. It’s obvious any time you turn on the TV and watch who’s playing on the PGA and LPGA tours. 

In stark contrast, change did occur in the women’s game as talented young South Koreans flocked to the LPGA Tour after countrywoman Se Ri Pak’s 1998 U.S. Open victory. Woods never had such coattails. 

Of course there are many barriers to entry in American golf, including how difficult the game can be to learn, how much it costs and how far golf courses are from diverse neighborhoods, but one wonders what might have been had Woods championed diversity from the get-go the way Clark has embraced Title IX’s message of inclusion for girls and women in sports. 

With Clark, there’s no need to wonder. Even though she’s only 22, we know how much she cares about being a role model. She said she never missed a game in college because she felt a responsibility to play for the fans who were coming just to see her.

So we can be pretty sure what youth sports will look like in the near future. Thousands of kids hooping it up, many of them girls new to sports. And what will they be doing? Racing down the court in transition, passing behind their backs and launching 3’s from the logo.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The University of Colorado gave an unusual discretionary bonus of $250,000 to football coach Deion Sanders late last year for the national recognition the university received during Sanders’ first year on the job, according to records obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

The bonus hasn’t been made public until now and was unusual for at least a couple of reasons:

∎ It wasn’t part of any specific stipulation or milestone reached in his employment contract. This made it a gift of sorts for Sanders, who otherwise was paid $5.5 million in his first season at Colorado.

∎ The bonus came shortly after the Buffaloes finished the season on a six-game losing streak and finished 4-8 overall.

“Sanders to earn an Employee Recognition Bonus for the national recognition he has brought to the University and Athletics Department this season,” states the pay form signed by CU officials in early December.

Not many major college football coaches, if any, get huge bonuses that aren’t spelled out in their contracts or after they lose eight of their final nine games of the season. But the university could make the case that Sanders, 56, deserved it.

Why Deion Sanders received this bonus

The employee recognition bonus he received in this case was due to the national publicity he brought to the university as the flamboyant former two-sport star in pro football and baseball.

“The employee recognition bonus is a discretionary bonus awarded by Athletic Director Rick George for the immense impact Coach Prime has made on the football program, the Athletic Department, and the university in his first season,” the university said in a statement this week to USA TODAY Sports.

For example, the university gained about $343 million in “earned media” value during Sanders’ first season on the job from July 31 to Nov. 27, according to data provided by the university from Cision, its media-monitoring service. By contrast, it gained only about $87 million during the same period in 2022 before Sanders’ arrival in Boulder, when the Buffaloes finished 1-11.

That’s not cash revenue but instead represents the advertising equivalency value of the media exposure that came during the football season, when the Buffs had five of the top 25 most-watched games in all of college football, including the College Football Playoff, according to the university.

Such exposure has residual benefits. CU Boulder since has reported a record number of applicants for the fall 2024 semester and a 50.5% increase in Black applicants.

More context on Coach Prime’s bonus pay

The bonus pay form was signed Dec. 1 by then-CU Boulder Chancellor Phil DiStefano, who also authorized it. That happened to be the day after Sports Illustrated named Sanders as its “Sportsperson of the Year,” citing how he revitalized the CU football program. The print edition of the magazine then featured Sanders, DiStefano, George and others from CU in a photograph together on the cover.

The amount of this discretionary bonus still exceeds many other performance-based incentives in his contract that he didn’t reach in his first season, including $150,000 for winning six games and $200,000 for getting invited to a New Year’s Six bowl game.

Last season, Sanders ranked fourth among public-school coaches in the Pac-12 at $5.5 million in guaranteed pay, behind Oregon’s Dan Lanning, who ranked first at $6.6 million, according to the USA TODAY Sports coaches’ pay database.

The Buffaloes open their second season under Sanders Aug. 29 at home against North Dakota State.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. E-mail: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The 2024 WNBA All-Star weekend has arrived.

Before the game on Saturday at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, several events will be held on Friday to commemorate the weekend, including the 2024 WNBA 3-point shooting contest. While last year’s 3-point shooting champion Sabrina Ionescu and Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark will not participate, the field for the contest is still stacked.

Ionescu’s Liberty teammate Jonquel Jones leads the field with the 3-point shooting percentage leader Stefanie Dolson (48.5%) and Minnesota Lynx’s Kayla McBride — who is pacing the WNBA in made three-point shots (76) — also partaking in the competition this year.

Last year’s event saw Ionescu score 37 out of 40 possible points in the 3-point shooting contest final, the most ever recorded in a WNBA or NBA three-point contest. Following last year’s success of the event, the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics and the uptick of interest in the WNBA this season, this year’s event should garner plenty of interest.

Here is everything you need to know about the WNBA’s All-Star 3-point contest:

Who are the 2024 WNBA All-Star 3-point contest participants?

Jonquel Jones, New York LibertyStefanie Dolson, Washington MysticsKayla McBride, Minnesota LynxAllisha Gray, Atlanta DreamMarina Mabrey, Connecticut Sun

What time is the WNBA All-Star 3-point contest?

Date: Friday, July 19Time: 9 p.m. ETLocation: Footprint Center in Phoenix

The WNBA 3-point contest will be held at 9 p.m. Friday, July 19, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. It is one of the events on the AT&T WNBA All-Star 2024 Friday.

WNBA 3-point contest channel

TV channel: ESPNStreaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)

The 2024 WNBA 3-point contest will be broadcast on ESPN during the 2024 WNBA All-Star weekend. Streaming options include the ESPN app (with a cable login), Fubo, which offers a free trial, and ESPN+.

Why aren’t Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu participating in WNBA 3-point contest?

Two notable WNBA stars will not participate in the 2024 WNBA 3-point shooting contest: New York Liberty star guard Sabrina Ionescu and Indiana Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark. Ionescu is the defending 3-point contest champion, scoring a 3-point record (NBA or WNBA) with 37 total points in the finals in 2023.

The WNBA confirmed that both Clark and Ionescu received invitations but declined. According to the Associated Press, Ionescu is focusing on the Olympics. In February, Clark played against NBA star Stephen Curry in the NBA 3-point contest and lost by three points. Clark will play for Team WNBA during the 2024 WNBA All-Star weekend, while Ionescu will play for Team USA.

What are the WNBA 3-point contest rules?

Per a release from the WNBA, here is the setup for the WNBA 3-point contest:

‘The three-point shooters will compete in the two-round, timed competition with ball racks positioned at five main shooting locations around the three-point arc. Four of the racks contain four official WNBA game balls worth one point each and one “money” ball worth two points. The fifth rack will be a special “all money ball” rack with every ball worth two points. In addition, two ball pedestals will be positioned at deep shot locations called ‘The Starry Range.’ Each pedestal holds one special ball known as the ‘Starry’ ball; shots made with the special ball are worth three points. The two players with the highest scores in the First Round will advance to the Final Round.’

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This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Two-time Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson has agreed to a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens, the team announced Friday.

Financial terms were not disclosed for Jackson, who played at Alabama with Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey and running back Derrick Henry. Jackson will provide depth to a safety room that features Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton in the starting roles.

Jackson, 30, was released by the Chicago Bears in February after seven seasons with the team, although his last two campaigns have been hampered by foot injuries.

Jackson recorded 37 tackles and one interception in 12 games (all starts) last season. He racked up 459 tackles, 15 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries in 100 career games (all starts) since being selected by the Bears in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft.

Named first team All-Pro in 2018 and to the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2019, Jackson’s six defensive touchdowns tied him with Lance Briggs for third in Bears history, behind only Charles Tillman (nine) and Mike Brown (seven).

All things Ravens: Latest Baltimore Ravens news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Shane Lowry will take a two-shot lead into the third round of the 2024 British Open at Royal Troon Golf Club

Lowry is at 7-under overall after shooting 2-under on Friday, pulling ahead of opening round leader Daniel Brown – who is now tied for second with Justin Rose at 5-under for the tournament.

Some of the biggest names in the game missed Friday’s cut, including Bryson DeChambeau (9-over), Rory McIlroy (11-over) and Tiger Woods (14-over).

“I’m going to have a very late tee Saturday tomorrow. I’m not going to be playing for another 24 hours,” Lowry told reporters after his morning round Friday. “I know what that’s about. I know tomorrow is going to be a long day, but I’ve done it before.”

Lowry won the Open in 2019, when it was played in Northern Ireland.

Here’s how the second round unfolded on Friday:

British Open leaderboard

(overall scores through Friday)

1. Shane Lowry, -7T2. Daniel Brown, -5T2. Justin Rose, -5T4. Billy Horschel, -2T4. Dean Burmester, -2T4. Scottie Scheffler, -2T7. Four golfers tied at -1

British Open cut: Rory McIlroy among big names eliminated

After Rory McIlroy’s U.S. Open heartbreak in June, he had one more chance to grab a major and went 78-75. He was 6-over through six holes on Friday, making an 8 on the fourth hole that sealed his fate.

“That was it, 22 holes into the event and I’m thinking about where I’m going to go on vacation next week,” he said.

McIlroy has now gone 10 years and 40 majors without a major championship victory and he’ll have to wait until April and the Masters for his next chance.

“When I look back on the two majors that I didn’t play my best at, here and the Masters, the wind got the better of me on Friday at Augusta, and then the wind got the better of me the last two days here,” he said.

– Adam Schupak, Golfweek

Rory McIlroy holes out from bunker

Rory McIlroy is heading toward elimination as his second round wraps up, but managed to hole out from a bunker to birdie No. 14 on Friday, birdying on No. 16 as well

Daniel Brown atop British Open leaderboard

‘Not used to being in this position … but it’s been good,’ British Open leader Daniel Brown said after his round Friday. ‘It’s been a challenge to manage my expectations from [Thursday]. … I was pretty sure that today wasn’t going to go quite as smoothly as yesterday. I’m happy that I managed to grind it out and post a reasonable number.

‘There’s still a long way to go, so I’m not going to get ahead of myself.’

Justin Rose finishes round tied for second

England’s Justin Rose made a long birdie putt on 18 to wrap his second round and put him at 5-under overall, tied for second with Daniel Brown, two shots behind leader Shane Lowry.

Bryson DeChambeau chips in birdie

Bryson DeChambeau is battling for his life Friday after a miserable 5-over opening round and chipped in for birdie to cap off his front nine in the second round.

Justin Rose pulls closer to the lead

Justin Rose picked up his third birdie of the day on the 16th to move him to 4-under for the tournament. He’s one stroke behind second-place Daniel Brown and three behind leader Shane Lowry. He has just one bogey.

Jon Rahm chips in long shot for birdie

Jon Rahm gets a birdie on the ninth with this shot.

Rory McIlroy struggling in second round

He shot an 8 on the par 5 fourth hole and bogeyed on the third, fifth and sixth holes. He was +13 through six holes.

Brown in second after round

Daniel Brown ends his second round with a par, good for 1-over par. he heads to the weekend two shots behind leader Shane Lowry.

McIlroy starts second round, attempting to make cut, Rose continues streak

Rory McIlroy began his day with an uphill climb to make the projected cut line of 5-over. Starting at 7-over, he left his birdie putt a few feet short on the first hole. On the par 4 second hole, his driver landed him in the rough, landing 117 yards from the hole, with his second landing in the semi-rough and left a 7-foot putt to save par, which he nailed.

Justin Rose is playing mistake-free golf after saving par on the 9th hole and has now gone 27 holes without a bogey. He currently sits at 4-under.

Justin Rose makes his move, Scottie Scheffler within striking range

Justin Rose is off to an outstanding start in his second round. After a beautiful approach on the 7th, Rose easily made birdie to move within three shots of the lead. Scottie Scheffler, seeking his third major championship, bogeyed the 18th but is still five shots off the pace heading into the weekend.

Shane Lowry finishes second round with two-shot lead

Shane Lowry capped off an impressive second round with a birdie putt on the par four 18th and finished his 18 holes at 2-under, 69. He sits at 7-under, a two-shot lead over Daniel Brown, and hit the clubhouse as the winds started picking up for the rest of the field trying to catch up.

Tiger Woods misses the cut, finishes 14-over par

Tiger Woods had two days he would like to forget at the Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Course in Troon, Scotland. After carding an 8-over 79 during the first round, it was more of the same on Friday for the 15-time major winner as he missed the cut at his third straight major tournament, finishing at 14-over par. The last time that happened was in 2015, when he failed to make the weekend at the U.S. Open, The British Open, and the PGA Championship.

Shane Lowry retakes sole possession of the lead

Shane Lowry birdies the 16th hole to take the outright lead once again. Daniel Brown sits one stroke behind. Meanwhile, Justin Rose sits three strokes off the lead after a birdie on the par-5 4th. Rose is the only golfer on the course who as not bogeyed a hole through 22 holes.

British Open leaderboard

As of 9:02 a.m. ET

T1. Shane Lowry, -5T1. Daniel Brown, -53. Justin Rose, -3T4. Dean Burmester, -2T4. Russell Henley, -2T4. Billy Horschel, -2T4. Nicolai Hojgaard, -2T8. Eight golfers tied at -1

Daniel Brown lands birdie, back as co-leader

Daniel Brown started his back nine in style by making a birdie putt on the 450-yard par-4 No. 10. That puts Brown back into a tie for the lead with Shane Lowry at 5 under. Lowry has been even through the second round through 15 holes.

Wind kicking up at Royal Troon

It wouldn’t be a British Open without the elements coming into play. And, almost suddenly, wind is impacting play all around Royal Troon. It’s going to make the second half of this second round pretty interesting.

Bogey on No. 2 for Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas started the second round in a tie for third place at 3 under, but the two-time PGA Championship winner has already given one back.

After saving par on No. 1, Thomas bogeyed the 389-yard par-4 hole on No. 2. Thomas remains in a tie for third at 2 under.

Daniel Brown hits the turn after another bogey

Daniel Brown has fallen out of the lead after carding his second bogey of the second round on No. 9.

That makes Shane Lowry, at 5 under through 13 holes, the solo leader at the moment.

Chaos on No. 11 for Shane Lowry

Shane Lowry runs into some trouble on No. 11. He hits his second shot into a gorse bush, cursing at a cameraman. Lowry then drops and hits a provisional onto the green to 20 feet in what would have presumably led to a bogey. However, a spectator found his second shot in the middle of the gorse bush. More than 20 minutes later, Lowry takes a drop and hits it to the front of the green. He then two putts for a costly double bogey and moves back into a share for the lead with Daniel Brown.

Patrick Cantlay moving up the leaderboard

Patrick Cantlay is perhaps having the best round of the day. The American birdies No. 10 to take him 4 under on the round and 2 under for the championship. He moves within five strokes of the leader Shane Lowry.

Shane Lowry takes outright lead

Shane Lowry birdies No. 8 − the Postage Stamp hole − to take the outright lead of The Open. The Irishman is 3 under par for the day to lead by one over Daniel Brown.

Shane Lowry shares lead with Daniel Brown

Shane Lowry, the 2019 Open champion, picks up two early birdies on No. 1 and No. 4 to take the outright lead of The Open and becomes the first player to reach 7 under in this championship. However, that was met by a bogey on No. 5 to move into a tie with Daniel Brown for the lead.  Brown is even through the first two holes.

Tiger Woods stumbles out the gate to start second round

Tiger Woods, who recorded six bogeys and two double bogeys in an opening 79, got off to a rough start to begin the second round. Woods double bogeyed the second hole and bogeyed the fifth hole to sit a +11 and tied for 151st. He then recorded his first birdie on No. 6 but is in danger of missing the cut.

How to watch 2024 British Open on TV

The Open will be broadcast live on NBC and on USA Network, with coverage also on NBC’s Peacock streaming service. The tentative broadcast schedule is as follows (all times Eastern):

Round 2: Friday, July 19

1:30 a.m.- 4 a.m.: Peacock 4 a.m.-3 p.m.: USA Network 3 p.m.-4 p.m.: Peacock 

British Open 2024 live stream

Live coverage and featured groups can be followed on the live stream on Peacock. 

British Open tee times: Second round

All times Eastern

1:35 a.m. — Ewen Ferguson, Marcel Siem

1:46 a.m. — CT Pan, Romain Langasque, Yuto Katsuragawa

1:57 a.m. — Rikuya Hoshino, Angel Hidalgo, Richard Mansell

2:08 a.m. — Corey Conners, Ryan Fox, Jorge Campillo

2:19 a.m. — Ernie Els, Gary Woodland, Altin van der Merwe (a)

2:30 a.m. — Henrik Stenson, Rasmus Hojgaard, Jacob Skov Olesen (a)

2:41 a.m. — Louis Oosthuizen, Billy Horschel, Victor Perez

2:52 a.m. — Sepp Straka, Brendon Todd, Jordan Smith

3:03 a.m. — Denny McCarthy, Taylor Moore, Adrian Meronk

3:14 a.m. — Jason Day, Byeong Hun An, Rickie Fowler

3:25 a.m. — Alex Cejka, Eric Cole, Kurt Kitayama

3:36 a.m. — Darren Clarke, JT Poston, Dean Burmester

3:47 a.m. — Phil Mickelson, Joost Luiten, Dustin Johnson

4:03 a.m. — Padraig Harrington, Davis Thompson, Matthew Jordan

4:14 a.m. — Wyndham Clark, Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka

4:25 a.m. — Tiger Woods, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay

4:36 a.m. — Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns, Si Woo Kim

4:47 a.m. — Shane Lowry, Cameron Smith, Matt Fitzpatrick

4:58 a.m. — Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young

5:09 a.m. — Akshay Bhatia, Tom Hoge, Sami Valimaki

5:20 a.m. — Emiliano Grillo, Ben Griffin, Mackenzie Hughes

5:31 a.m. — Yannik Paul, Joe Dean, Andy Ogletree

5:42 a.m. — Ryan van Velzen, Charlie Lindh, Luis Masaveu (a)

5:53 a.m. — Kazuma Kobori, Jaime Montojo Fernandez (a), Liam Nolan (a)

6:04 a.m. — Daniel Brown, Denwit David Boriboonsub, Matthew Dodd-Berry (a)

6:15 a.m. — Jeunghun Wang, Aguri Iwasaki, Sam Horsfield

6:26 a.m. — Justin Leonard, Todd Hamilton, Jack McDonald

6:47 a.m. — Tom McKibbin, Alex Noren, Calum Scott (a)

6:58 a.m. — Jesper Svensson, Vincent Norrman, Michael Hendry

7:09 a.m. — Younghan Song, Daniel Hillier, Ryosuke Kinoshita

7:20 a.m. — Min Woo Lee, Ryo Hisatsune, Abraham Ancer

7:31 a.m. — Nicolai Hojgaard, Adam Scott, Keita Nakajima

7:42 a.m. — Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, Jasper Stubbs (a)

7:53 a.m. — Justin Thomas, Sungjae Im, Matthew Southgate

8:04 a.m. — Nick Taylor, Matt Wallace, Laurie Canter

8:15 a.m. — Sebastian Soderberg, Matteo Manassero, Shubhankar Sharma

8:26 a.m. — Zach Johnson, Austin Eckroat, Thorbjorn Olesen

8:37 a.m. — John Daly, Santiago de la Fuente (a), Aaron Rai

8:48 a.m. — Stewart Cink, Chris Kirk, Dominic Clemons (a)

9:04 a.m. — Stephan Jaeger, Adam Schenk, Joaquin Niemann

9:15 a.m. — Adam Hadwin, Lucas Glover, Christiaan Bezuidenhout

9:26 a.m. — Tony Finau, Russell Henley, Matthieu Pavon

9:37 a.m. — Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre

9:48 a.m. — Ludvig Åberg, Bryson DeChambeau, Tom Kim

9:59 a.m. — Brian Harman, Viktor Hovland, Sahith Theegala

10:10 a.m. — Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Tyrrell Hatton

10:21 a.m. — Keegan Bradley, Will Zalatoris, Gordon Sargent (a)

10:32 a.m. — Harris English, Maverick McNealy, Alexander Bjork

10:43 a.m. — Guido Migliozzi, Sean Crocker, Tommy Morrison (a)

10:54 a.m. — David Puig, John Catlin, Guntaek Koh

11:05 a.m. — Thriston Lawrence, Daniel Bradbury, Elvis Smylie

11:16 a.m. — Nacho Elvira, Minkyu Kim, Darren Fichardt

11:27 a.m. – Mason Andersen, Masahiro Kawamura, Sam Hutsby

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

In this StockCharts TV video, Mary Ellen examines which areas of the market have moved into favor amid the S&P 500 pullback. She compares value vs. growth stocks and the merits of both, and highlights the move away from technology stocks. Which areas are poised for more downside?

You can see Mary Ellen’s Growth vs. Value chart by clicking here.

This video originally premiered July 19, 2024. You can watch it on our dedicated page for Mary Ellen on StockCharts TV.

New videos from Mary Ellen premiere weekly on Fridays. You can view all previously recorded episodes at this link.

If you’re looking for stocks to invest in, be sure to check out the MEM Edge Report! This report gives you detailed information on the top sectors, industries and stocks so you can make informed investment decisions.

Newly minted Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance wrote in an X post Friday that if Democrats believe President Biden doesn’t have the mental acuity to continue to run for re-election, it would be difficult to argue he should remain president until next January.

‘If Joe Biden doesn’t have the cognitive function to run for re-election, then he certainly doesn’t have the cognitive function to remain as Commander-In-Chief,’ Vance posted. ‘How can any Dem pushing him to drop out of the presidential race, argue in good faith that he should stay on as POTUS?’

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., echoed that sentiment to reporters at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Thursday. 

‘The question is, if he’s not going to be their nominee because he’s not up to it, how can he be our president for the next six months?’ Rubio said, according to Politico. ‘If there’s something wrong with you that doesn’t allow you to run for president, how can you still be there as president? If they’re going to remove him as nominee, they’ve got to remove him as president, and that’s really bad for our country.’

Polling guru and FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver earlier this month wrote on X he also believes Biden should ‘transition the presidency to [Vice President Kamala] Harris within 30-60 days, but I’m there now. Something is clearly wrong here.’

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., has also called on Biden to step down. 

‘Americans deserve to feel their president is fit enough to do the job,’ she told KGW-TV. ‘The crisis of confidence in the president’s leadership needs to come to an end. The president should do what he knows is right for the country and put the national interest first.’

Increasing numbers of Democrats have called on Biden to exit the White House race after his disastrous debate performance late last month, fearing he would lose to Trump. 

Historian Alexis Coe wrote in a Rolling Stone op-ed Friday that Biden should resign to ‘preserve his legacy.’

Presidential historian Allan Lichtman, who has accurately predicted nine of the last 10 elections, has also said that if Biden were to drop out of the race, handing over the presidency to Harris as she replaces him on the ticket would be the Democrats’ best chance of keeping the White House in November. 

Biden and his campaign have said the president is ‘in it to win it,’ although reports have said he is reconsidering that amid increasing calls to drop out. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Seasonally, the first two weeks of July have been great for the stock market. Now that the first two weeks of July are behind us, will the stock market take a breather until September? After how the market acted this week, it certainly feels that way.

Let’s start with a synopsis of the broader indexes, followed by an analysis of market breadth indicators.

A July Pullback?

This week, there were some dynamics in the financial markets worth pondering. The S&P 500 index ($SPX) hit a record high on Tuesday and then gapped lower on Wednesday, with the selloff continuing on Thursday and Friday. Three substantial consecutive down days triggered fears among investors and led to a selloff in large-cap mega-growth tech stocks.

The Nasdaq Composite ($COMPQ) was hit the hardest. The daily chart of the Nasdaq below paints a picture of the magnitude of the selloff.

CHART 1. THE NASDAQ SELLOFF. The Nasdaq Composite went through a significant selloff for three consecutive days.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The selloff on July 11, a 1.95% drop, indicated how much the Nasdaq Composite could drop in one day. That’s to be expected when the index is as toppy as it is. On a positive note, the Nasdaq is still trading above its 50-day simple moving average (SMA).

Semiconductor weakness brought down the Nasdaq and S&P 500. The strong bull rally in the stock market stemmed from the strength in semis, but the narrative changed this week.

The chart of the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) paints a grim picture of the fall in semiconductor stocks. SMH has broken below two important levels. One is the support level from previous lows. The second and more concerning one is that it dropped below its 50-day SMA and closed at the lower end of the candlestick bar.

CHART 2. DAILY CHART OF THE VANECK VECTORS SEMICONDUCTOR ETF (SMH). The ETF has broken below the support of its previous lows and the 50-day SMA. The next level to watch is the 100-day SMA.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

And while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq gapped lower, things were slightly different with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU). On Wednesday, the index hit an all-time high, but followed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq with a downward move on Thursday and Friday.

Can Small Cap Stocks Hold Their Ground?

If you were tuned in to the media, you’d have heard the word “rotation” mentioned several times. While the big broad indexes were selling off, small-cap stocks rose out of their slumber. Were investors selling off their big winners and investing in small caps? It’s possible, given that interest rate cuts will likely occur in 2024.

But, on Friday, small caps also joined in the selloff (see chart below). However, the S&P 500 Small Cap Index ($SML) didn’t break the support level of its previous highs. The lower panels show that market internals are weakening, so it’s possible that small caps can fall below the blue-dashed support level if there’s more of the same next week.

CHART 3. SMALL CAPS SELLOFF BUT HAVEN’T BROKEN BELOW SUPPORT. The market internals in small-cap stocks are weakening, which could lead to the index falling below its support level.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

It was an all across-the-board sell-off. Even precious metals and bond prices fell. Very little of the market was in green territory on Friday. Head to the Market Summary page on your StockCharts platform and scroll down the long list, and you’ll see there are a few greens in a sea of red.

Homebuilders, regional banks, and biotechs were some of the more relevant industries in the green. And, of course, cryptocurrencies were the winners, with Bitcoin leading the pack.

The Rise in Volatility

Given the magnitude of this week’s selloff, it’s no surprise the CBOR Volatility Index ($VIX) spiked higher. This suggests that fear amongst investors is on the rise. The bigger question is if this will remain this way for a while. The chart of the VIX below shows that it pulled back slightly toward the end of the trading day.

CHART 4. WATCH THE VIX. The VIX is a great fear gauge. The last time it spiked was when the S&P 500 corrected. Will this time be similar, or will it go even higher?Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

More important, notice how the VIX reacted in April 2024, the last time it spiked. That was when the S&P 500 corrected to its 100-day SMA, after which it resumed its uptrend. Can we expect a similar situation to take place this time? It’s possible, although this time it may be more important to see if the S&P 500 falls below its 50-day SMA.

It Helps to Look at Stock Market Internals

In the daily chart of the S&P 500 below, you see the index is trading above its 50-day SMA. So far, breadth indicators suggest that the bullish trend is still in play.

CHART 5. MARKET BREADTH INDICATORS AREN’T SIGNALING A BEAR MARKET YET. The S&P 500 is still above its 50-day SMA. Market breadth indicators, NYSE Advance-Decline Line, Percent of S&P 500 stocks trading above their 50-day SMA, and the S&P 500 Bullish Percent Index are showing signs of slowing down, but not necessarily weakness.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Points to note in the above chart are as follows:

The NYSE Advance-Decline Line is starting to show signs of weakening but, relatively speaking, it’s still high.The percentage of S&P 500 stocks trading above their 50-day SMA is above 50, although it also is starting to trend lower.The S&P 500 Bullish Percent Index is flattening out.

All three breadth indicators are indicating a slowing-down, but market breadth isn’t weak. Compare this with what happened in April. Let’s focus on the area between the two blue dashed vertical lines.

The NYSE Advance-Decline line was in a downward trajectory, flattened out, and reversed.The percentage of S&P 500 stocks above its 50-day SMA fell drastically and went below the 50 level.The S&P 500 Bullish Percent Index fell below 50, but for a short time.

Closing Position

The charts presented here are an example. Feel free to apply different moving averages for your analysis. Assuming you’re looking at the chart in Chart 5, if the S&P 500 falls below the 50-day SMA, it would be time to tread carefully. Corrections are healthy and necessary and, as long as they are corrections, they could open up opportunities to load up on some stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It depends on how weak the market internals are, which is why indicators included in the chart can be helpful.

Stay one step ahead of the market. Explore the different market breadth indicators available in StockCharts.

End-of-Week Wrap-Up

S&P 500 closed down 1.97% for the week, at 5505; Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.72% for the week at 40,287.53; Nasdaq Composite closed down 3.65% for the week at 17726.94$VIX up 32.58% for the week closing at 16.52Best performing sector for the week: EnergyWorst performing sector for the week: TechnologyTop 5 Large Cap SCTR stocks: MicroStrategy, Inc. (MSTR); Insmed Inc. (INSM); Carvana Co. (CVNA); Arm Holdings (ARM); Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD)

On the Radar Next Week

June Existing Home SalesJune PCE Price IndexJune Durable Goods OrdersEarnings from Alphabet (GOOGL), Tesla (TSLA), Verizon Communications (VZ), Visa Inc. (V), Coca-Cola Co. (KO), Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), PulteGroup (PHM), among many others.

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

Netflix’s second-quarter earnings report contained no bombshells, and that’s just fine for the company and its investors.

In recent weeks, Paramount Global has agreed to merge with Skydance Media. Warner Bros. Discovery is considering all options for its future and may lose broadcast rights to the NBA.

While the media and entertainment landscape around Netflix is in a state of change, the world’s largest streamer is fine with the status quo.

“If we execute well — better stories, easier discovery and more fandom — while also establishing ourselves in newer areas like live, games and advertising, we believe that we have a lot more room to grow,” Netflix said in its quarterly shareholder letter. “Because when we delight people with our entertainment, Netflix can drive higher engagement, revenue and profit than the competition. This in turn creates a more loved and valued entertainment company — for our members, creators and shareholders — that we can strengthen and grow over time.”

Netflix classified the streaming, pay TV, film, gaming and branded advertising market as a $600 billion industry in terms of total annual sales, noting the company accounts for about 6% of that revenue.

The streamer added more than 8 million subscribers in the quarter. It now has more than 277 million global customers, making it by far the largest subscription streaming service in the world. Netflix’s market valuation as of Thursday’s market close is $277 billion.

Nielsen statistics show Netflix as the second most-watched streaming service in the U.S., trailing only YouTube. But rather than worry about YouTube’s competition, Netflix is content to focus on the other 80% of the TV market, the company reiterated.

“Looking to the future, we believe our biggest opportunity is winning a larger share of the 80%+ of TV time (primarily linear and streaming) that neither Netflix nor YouTube has today,” the company said.

While Warner and Disney announced a new cross-company bundle in May that will give consumers the ability to buy Max with Disney’s suite of streaming services for a discount, Netflix made a point to say it feels no need to engage with the competition.

“We haven’t bundled Netflix solely with other streamers like Disney+ or Max because Netflix already operates as a go-to destination for entertainment thanks to the breadth and variety of our slate and superior product experience,” Netflix said. “This has driven industry leading penetration, engagement and retention for us, which limits the benefit to Netflix of bundling directly with other.”

Netflix’s focus remains building its advertising business and adding streaming subscribers on the back of its strength of content.

It’s not the most dramatic of narratives. It may not make for a great Netflix series.

But as an investment, shareholders will happily take it.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS