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Here’s what I’d like you all to remember about my dear friend Sen Joe Lieberman

Like all of Joe Lieberman’s family and friends, I have been contending with the news of his sudden passing. To say it was a shock is an understatement. As I join so many in grieving his loss, I am also reflecting on his wonderful life.

He was a deeply principled man, guided by faith, and grounded by family and his sense of duty beyond the political moment. A quiet man with a witty and charming disposition, he was full of kindness and had a steely determination to make sure that we would learn from the mistakes of the past.

To have known Joe is to understand at a base level: There is no Joe without his dear wife, Hadassah. Hadassah and Joe were a wonderful example of a loving couple who cherished each other’s opinion and always had each other’s back. Their children and grandchildren were his North Star.

I’ve read so many accolades since Joe’s passing, from prominent political figures on both sides of the aisle. To see that people, in remembering his life, understood who Joe Lieberman was at his core and to hear every person eulogizing him, regardless of their political stripes, attest to Joe’s character, intellect, and kind disposition has been a great comfort.

As if almost mirroring the closeness of his family in his outer life, Joe brought people together.

Any reasonable analysis of Joe’s political record would show that he was unashamedly a social liberal. As was common in his party at the time, he was always strong on the military and believed in a robust, Scoop Jackson-Ronald Reagan foreign policy. He personally understood that the forces of evil had to be confronted early on and what happens if we don’t – Hadassah’s parents were Holocaust survivors.

Joe Lieberman was Al Gore’s running mate on the 2000 presidential ticket. He came within 537 votes in Florida of being Democratic vice president of the United States. Only a few years later, Joe was Sen. John McCain’s wingman in 2008, breaking with his party to endorse John for president.

I don’t think that would happen in today’s hyper-partisan environment. But it can be explained, in my view, by one event.

Missing from the discussion of Joe’s life and legacy – and what was so evident from our travels together – is how he was deeply affected by Sept. 11, 2001. My small contribution in honoring my dear friend is to point out how committed he was to protecting his nation and his beloved Israel by being strong in the face of evil.

He wholeheartedly supported President Bush’s effort to deal with the extremist regimes in the Mideast, and to go on the offensive when it came to radical Islam.

His decision to support the surge in Iraq was very unpopular among Democrats and the public at large. The Three Amigos – as me, John and Joe came to be known – fully supported President Bush’s efforts as we were losing ground in Iraq.

This put Sen. Lieberman at odds with his party and a majority of Americans. But through that, Joe formed an unshakeable bond with John. And I was fortunate to have been in the presence of two real American heroes, John McCain and Joe Lieberman, who in different ways sacrificed for our country and always put the nation first above any politics.

Sen. Lieberman saw a determination in Sen. McCain to win a war that we could not afford to lose. This reinforced Sen. McCain’s belief that America has to be strong in the face of aggression, not just from radical Islam, but from bad actors like Putin and the Iranian ayatollah. 

Sen. Lieberman later vigorously opposed President Obama’s withdrawal of forces from Iraq and President Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. Joe realized that radical Islam, left unattended, will come back. He knew that it is better to fight them over there than to fight them on our soil. 

Joe also always believed the Iranian ayatollah was the Great Satan. Through his leadership of United Against Nuclear Iran, which he co-founded, he constantly reminded us how the world would change for the worse if the ayatollah had a nuclear weapon.

Sen. Lieberman was guided by these firm principles, and they have informed my views in the Senate. Now, the best thing I can do to honor and remember Joe is to stay in the fight.

I will, to the best of my ability, continue the fight, taking on those on the Left who wish to marginalize the Jewish state and weaken us at home. With equal vigor, I will confront the isolationist wing of the Republican Party, which seems not to understand the threat we face from radical Islam, Putin, Iran and China, and would have us withdraw from the world at our own peril.

My last conversation with Sen. Lieberman was about how impressed I was with the younger generation of Republicans and Democrats who seem to understand that The Squad is off base and that calls to retreat from the world do not make us safer.

I’m glad I had this conversation before Joe passed. I was able to tell him that what he had accomplished and what he was continuing to do was making a difference to younger generations.

What better legacy could one have as a public servant? Rest in peace, my dear Amigo. Until we’re all together again.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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How can Israel respond to Iran’s brazen attack?

After Iran’s attack on Israel was largely thwarted by the country’s defenses and key allies, attention has turned to how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could choose to respond.

‘The fact that the Iranian attack was a total failure does not detract even an ounce from Israel’s obligation to retaliate against Iran for its direct act of aggression,’ Jonathan Conricus, a former spokesman for the IDF and senior fellow at Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), focused on the Middle East, told Fox News Digital.

The comments come after Iran launched over 300 missiles and drones from its own territory at Israel on Saturday, an attack that Israel claims was largely beaten back by its sophisticated defenses and the help of allies in the region.

But the brazen Iranian attempt has opened up questions about how Israel may choose to respond, even amid reports that the Biden administration has urged Netanyahu to show restraint in a bid to prevent an escalating conflict in the Middle East.

‘It’s hard to conceive of a world in which Israel responds to Iran’s crossing of red lines by merely absorbing Tehran’s missile and drone strikes. It’s even harder to think of such a world in a post-October 7 Middle East,’ Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at FDD focused on Iranian security, told Fox News Digital. ‘Despite two decades of alarm ringing over the Iranian nuclear program, Israel has thus far not overtly attacked Tehran’s nuclear program. One wonders the degree to which this may change as Israel prepares its response.’

According to a report from the Jerusalem Post, such an attack on Iran’s nuclear capabilities has been the subject of years of planning, with the potential for a response to feature F-35 stealth fighter jets that would hit sites across Iran as far away as 1,200 miles from Israel.

The aim of such an attack would be to eliminate Iran’s air defenses, the report notes, paving the way for the Israeli military to strike at nuclear facilities hand-picked by the country’s intelligence.

But Israel would likely need to make sure its plans garner U.S. support, Conricus argued, adding that military strikes would not be the only option on the table.

‘Israel has various long range capabilities to choose from, but what Israel has to ensure is U.S. support or at least approval, and to clarify the strategic objectives that it’s aiming for,’ Conricus said. ‘Israel could retaliate against the Iranian military nuclear program or against its economic infrastructure, ports and refineries, depending on which strategic objective it wants to achieve.’

Overnight, Israeli forces pummeled Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in a barrage of airstrikes Sunday. Those attacks targeted a Hezbollah weapons manufacturing facility and other targets, the IDF said.

‘A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck a number of military structures in a complex belonging to Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces in the area of Jbaa in southern Lebanon,’ Israeli forces said in a statement. ‘Earlier during the night, IDF fighter jets struck Hezbollah military structures in the areas of Khiam and Kfarkela.’

According to the Jerusalem Post report, the wave of Israeli F-35s into Iran would likely be followed by separate waves of F-15 eagles, F-16 fighting falcons, and more heavily loaded F-35s carrying loads that could potentially penetrate deep into the ground to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities.

Israel could also use its own stockpile of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles and attack drones, the report notes.

While such an attack has been gamed out, Taleblu argued that it is unclear whether Israel would opt for such a dramatic response.

‘Despite two decades of alarm ringing over the Iranian nuclear program, Israel has thus far not overtly attacked Tehran’s nuclear program,’ Taleblu said. ‘One wonders the degree to which this may change as Israel prepares its response.’

Speaking with CNN Sunday, retired Gen. David Petraeus noted that Israel will have plenty of options if it chooses to launch a response, including both overt and covert military actions.

‘They can pursue asymmetric attacks, cyberspace and so forth,’ Petraeus said. ‘And keep in mind that, of course, Washington is meeting with the other G7 countries to determine what kind of diplomatic and economic responses should follow in a coordinated effort as well.’

But whatever Israel decides, Taleblu said that any plan will have to to come to a ‘theory of the case for victory.’

‘Would it be going for a decapitation strike against regime leadership, a defanging strike against the regime’s long-range strike assets, or military bases, or a punishment strike that could perhaps target the energy and oil sectors, which is the financial lifeblood of the Islamic Republic,’ Taleblu said.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Sen. Kennedy advises ‘wobbly’ Biden to get tough on Iran after Israel attack: ‘Go on Amazon and buy a spine’

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., called on President Biden to take a stronger stance against Iran after his administration reportedly advised Israel not to launch a response after Tehran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at the Jewish state on Saturday.

Kennedy addressed Iran’s attack during an appearance on ‘Fox News Sunday,’ criticizing Biden’s support of Israel as less than ironclad. 

‘In the past 60 days, we have seen President Biden go wobbly in his support of Israel,’ Kennedy said. ‘With respect, go to Amazon and buy a spine online. Peace through weakness never works, not with these hard, armed men.’

Iran launched some 300 drones and missiles from its own territory toward Israel, though the vast majority were intercepted by air defenses.

Israel responded by sending fighter jets to strike multiple Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including a major weapon-manufacturing site. While Israel has yet to announce plans for a large-scale retaliation, The New York Times reported that the Biden administration has advised Israel not to retaliate against Iran.

Kennedy accused Biden of ‘being influenced by the Hamas wing of the Democratic Party’ and called on the president to shore up his support of Israel.

‘The American people may be poor under Biden, but they’re not stupid,’ Kennedy said. ‘We need to stand with Israel.’

Biden has also drawn criticism over his failed attempt to deter Iran from carrying out an attack against Israel. On Friday, Biden said simply, ‘Don’t,’ when reporters asked about his message to Iran ahead of an expected attack against Israel.

Kennedy warned that the U.S. must stand strong against Iran and its surrogates.

‘Israel’s not at war with Hamas or Hezbollah or Yemen,’ the senator said. ‘Those are all surrogates for Iran, they’re prostitutes. The pimp is Iran. Israel is at war with Iran. Iran hates Americans. Iran hates Jews. Iran wants to kill Americans and Jews. And if we turn the other cheek to them, we’re going to get it in the neck.’

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Stocks

Are The Financials Sending Us A Major Warning Signal?

I’ve said for awhile that we could use some short-term selling to unwind overbought conditions and even negative divergences in some cases. I was looking for perhaps 4-5%, but it’s really difficult to predict the kind and depth of selling that we’ll see when secular bull markets face a downturn. Personally, I’d be shocked if this recent weakness morphs into a bear market. I’m not saying that it’s not possible, but my key signals suggest it’s very, very unlikely.

We’ve seen some downside moves in the past of just 1-2% and others, like the correction last summer, that stretched to 10%. I believe earnings will be strong, but the huge move off the October 2023 low may have built in that positive news. You’ve probably heard that old Wall Street adage, “buy on rumor, sell on news”, right? Well, that’s exactly what we saw Friday, with respect to the major financials that reported quarterly results Friday morning. The earnings numbers looked pretty good on Zacks:

Reported EPS was significantly higher than estimates in every case. Citigroup (C), in particular, crushed estimates, blowing them away by nearly 40%. There were revenue beats by all 6 companies as well:

Again, it was C that posted the best revenue beat – nearly 4% higher than expectations. From these tremendous numbers, it’s easy to NOW see why financials had performed so well.

But one thing that confuses many retail traders is that strong results do not always translate into higher stock prices. Check out the quarterly earnings price reactions on these 6 stocks:

Is this type of market reaction justified after seeing those quarterly results? I don’t think so, but the stock market doesn’t care what I think. Market makers have a job to do – build positions for their institutional clients at our expense. The short-term is NOT efficient. Prices don’t do what you think they’ll do. Then you get confused, believing financial stocks are dead. After they drop for awhile, you panic and sell and, after market makers get all the shares they need, financials regain their strength. This is what the stock market does. The short-term inefficiencies wear on traders, causing them to give up, and that creates supply for market makers to build their inventory. Then rinse and repeat. As the late great Yogi Berra would say, “it’s deja vu all over again!”

I discussed why we can’t trust this selling in my latest EB Weekly Market Recap VIDEO, “Hot CPI Stokes Inflation Fears”. The secular bull market remains perfectly intact. Check it out and leave me a comment. Also, please “LIKE” the video and “SUBSCRIBE” to our YouTube channel, if you haven’t already. It’ll help us build our YouTube community and I would certainly appreciate it.

On Monday, April 15th, I’ll be providing another financial stock that is poised to report excellent quarterly results. This company has been a huge leader among its peers, suggesting a blowout report ahead. If financials reverse their current weakness, I would not be surprised to see a very POSITIVE market reaction to this company’s report. To receive this company and check out its chart, simply CLICK HERE to subscribe to our FREE EB Digest newsletter. There is no credit card required to join the EB Digest, just your name and email address!

Happy trading!

Tom

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Free cash programs spread as more cities expand the anti-poverty safety net

Just weeks after Kiki Ramos received her first $500 monthly payment from the Richmond Resilience Initiative, her car was stolen.

“It would have been a big domino effect if I didn’t have this extra money,” she said.

Her damaged vehicle was soon recovered, but without the additional cash, the 33-year-old pharmacy technician couldn’t have afforded to get it fixed or secure a rental in the meantime, given her $1,000 insurance deductible. That would’ve meant figuring out car pools or public transportation to and from work, and little ability to shuttle her boys, ages 12 and 3, to doctor’s appointments and recreational activities.

Kiki Ramos.Courtesy Kiki Ramos

Ramos is one of 46 participants in a guaranteed income program now in its third iteration in Virginia’s capital, a city of around 230,000 people where 1 in 5 live in poverty. The initiative is one of 35 such programs running concurrently across the U.S., according to Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI), a group of municipal leaders working to expand them.

The programs have been gaining steam in a post-pandemic economy whose resilience keeps defying expectations, even as high living costs squeeze working families. Proponents say the unconditional payments help cover gaps in a social safety net that lags behind millions of households’ financial realities. Critics, however, are renewing long-running arguments that the handouts discourage work in a still-humming job market.

Richmond’s initiative targets residents who work but still struggle to make ends meet. Ramos earns at least $42,000 per year, around $5,000 above the federal poverty line for a household her size. While her income disqualifies her for most state and federal benefits, it rarely covers her $1,200 monthly rent, $150 weekly grocery bill and car insurance payments that now total $680 each month.

It would have been a big domino effect if I didn’t have this extra money.

Kiki Ramos, 33, Richmond, Va.

“At certain points in my life, I was only like $10 or $50 over” the cutoff for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, said Ramos, who also supports her mother and sister, both of whom struggle with mental disabilities that prevent them from working. While they receive Medicaid, Ramos said her family has been denied SNAP and Section 8 housing benefits because of her salary.

“Knowing that I will never qualify for any type of assistance is extremely frustrating,” she said.

Richmond’s economy bounded out of the pandemic faster than the nation’s, its real gross domestic product jumping 2.6% from 2020 to 2022, the latest data available, compared with 1.9% nationally. Still, the United Way deems more than a third of Richmond-area families “ALICE” households — asset limited, income constrained, employed — whose incomes don’t consistently cover essentials despite their living above the poverty line.

As in other cities, Richmond’s ALICE households swelled during the pandemic, adding 21,000 from 2020 to 2021 alone. The health crisis marked a turning point for guaranteed income, or GI, programs, as federal stimulus payments proved “the government can make cash available to the vast majority of people pretty easily,” said Aditi Shrivastava, deputy director for income security at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank.

Richmond recipients like Ramos “were essentially on a fiscal cliff every single month,” said Democratic Mayor Levar Stoney, who now wants to expand the program, with $500,000 in his 2025 budget proposal, to “allow us to get to even more families.”

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is pushing for $500,000 in public funding to extend the city’s guaranteed income program.Caroline Brehman / AP file

Stoney was elected in 2016 and joined MGI’s board in 2020. The consortium of mostly Democratic leaders has been using federal dollars — boosted by funding from 2021’s American Rescue Plan — along with private contributions, including from donors like Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who now leads financial services firm Block, to back GI projects nationwide.

The group said it has overseen the launch of 66 such pilots in the last four years, including in red states like Kentucky and Florida. Unlike “universal basic income” proposals like the one championed by 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang, which aim to cover an entire population regardless of earnings, guaranteed income programs are typically restricted to those beneath certain income levels or who don’t have access to other benefits.

The concept has been around since at least the 1960s, when proponents ran the gamut from the Black Panther Party to Richard Nixon, though he rejected the GI label. It has regained attention in recent decades as policymakers responded to “constant crises” hammering consumer finances, especially during the last two recessions, according to Paul Shafer, an assistant professor of health law and policy at Boston University.

“I think there was just a recognition, even before then, that this patchwork isn’t quite working,” he said of existing safety-net programs like Medicaid, Social Security and SNAP. “There’s still lots of gaps in it.”

Michael Tubbs, MGI’s founder and the former mayor of Stockton, California, made waves before Covid hit when he launched a GI program in 2019 that gave 125 residents $500 a month. While the pandemic was found to have limited the initiative’s impact, Tubbs said it proved promising enough to inspire subsequent efforts, which Covid and the racial equity movement sparked by George Floyd’s murder helped propel further.

“This is not a radical notion anymore,” Tubbs said.

Not everyone agrees. Conservative groups that pushed back against pandemic-era aid programs are now taking aim at guaranteed income too.

Tarren Bragdon, the president and CEO of the Foundation for Government Accountability, a right-leaning think tank, criticized GI projects’ “slow creep,” saying a too-generous welfare state discourages people from working — a concern both parties shared until roughly the last decade. His group, which has sought to curtail access to safety-net programs through tighter employment requirements, has also rolled out messaging to counter GI efforts in some of the cities pursuing them.

“Policymakers should look for ways to expand opportunities for people to find meaningful work, not create more reliance on government budgets,” Bragdon said.

Some GI advocates say the programs do just that, helping recipients take advantage of the very job boom that opponents say obviates them.

A February report by the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research analyzed a program in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that gave $500 a month to single-caretaker households from 2021 to 2023. It found that within one year, 40% were working full time, compared to 28% of a control group.

Reviewing an 18-month pilot in St. Paul, Minnesota, from 2020 to 2022, the researchers found participants’ employment rate had hit 63% six months after the program ended, up from 49% when it began.

Taniquewa Brewster.Courtesy Taniquewa Brewster

In Austin, Texas, Taniquewa Brewster has been working to supplement her income since the 12-month GI pilot she participated in ended last fall. Anticipating the loss of her $1,000 monthly stipend, the 38-year-old contract laborer and single mother of five used some of the money to get certified as a real-estate leasing agent and a notary months before her last installment. She also started training as a doula.

“It basically helped me to stabilize my family,” said Brewster.

In February, following an Urban Institute study highlighting the Austin program’s successes — including participants’ investment in skills training — the city council announced plans to expand the pilot with $1.3 million in taxpayer funding. But this week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, spurred by concerns from fellow Republicans, moved in the other direction, suing to challenge a Houston-area GI program he called a “socialist experiment” and an “illegal and illegitimate government overreach.”

Idaho Republicans passed a measure last month banning GI programs that don’t require work or training. Their counterparts in Iowa and Arizona have taken similar steps, though Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed the latter. When Wisconsin’s GOP supermajority passed a ban on public funding for GI efforts — a bill targeting Madison, the state’s capital and its only city with a guaranteed income pilot — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed it.

Madison, Wis., Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway hopes to sustain a 110-person guaranteed income program.Steve Apps / Wisconsin State Journal via AP file

“The idea that $500 a month would make somebody quit their job, I just feel like we’re not living in the same economy,” said Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. The income threshold for Madison’s GI program, which finished its first cohort last fall, was set at 200% of the federal poverty level to cover those “just above being eligible for other benefits that still really need support,” she said.

Finding governmental support for the pilot has been ‘cumbersome,’ Rhodes-Conway said, “so I’m trying to support our local nonprofit community to take ownership and have the funds that they need” to keep the 110-person pilot alive.

The idea that $500 a month would make somebody quit their job, I just feel like we’re not living in the same economy.

Madison, Wis., Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway

While some advocates now call for more ambitious GI programs — lasting five years, say, rather than one or two — the movement’s champions have already faced setbacks. After Tubbs’ high-profile re-election defeat in 2020, even progressive allies speculated whether his focus on the city’s GI program, which included just 125 participants, alienated voters who didn’t benefit from it.

But with more than 150 guaranteed or universal basic income pilots conducted or concluded in the U.S., according to a Stanford University tally, the momentum may be hard for opponents to arrest. More than 60% of Americans said they supported a national guaranteed income of $500 to $1,000 a month for adults earning less than their community’s median, according to a February survey commissioned by MGI.

More electoral tests are coming. In January, Stoney announced his candidacy for the 2025 gubernatorial election in Virginia, a swing state that in 2021 replaced its Democratic governor with Republican Glenn Youngkin.

“I’m going to be focused on how do we give the working class in this commonwealth a hand up,” Stoney said of his campaign. “Guaranteed income can be a useful tool for those who are working hard who just don’t qualify for the current federal benefit structure in this country.”

Next year will show whether voters agree.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Dow tumbles 475 points, S&P 500 suffers worst day since January as inflation woes erupt

Stocks sold off Friday as inflation and geopolitical worries once again dented investor sentiment on Wall Street. A broad decline in major bank shares also weighed on the market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 475.84 points, or 1.24%, closing at 37,983.24. The S&P 500 tumbled 1.46% at 5,123.41. The Nasdaq Composite pulled back by 1.62% at 16,175.09.

At one point in the trading session, the Dow was down by nearly 582 points, or 1.51%. The S&P 500 slid as much as 1.75%.

Week to date, the broad market index dropped 1.56%, and the 30-stock Dow fell 2.37%. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq is 0.45% lower for the week.

Markets are generally in good shape so far this year. The Dow is up 0.7% year-to-date. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are up 8% and 9.5% respectively since the beginning of 2024.

JPMorgan Chase shares declined more than 6% after the banking giant posted its first-quarter results. The bank said net interest income, a key measure of what it makes through lending activities, could be a little short of what Wall Street analysts are expecting in 2024. CEO Jamie Dimon also warned about persistent inflationary pressures weighing on the economy. 

Wells Fargo slipped 0.4% after reporting its latest quarterly figures. Citigroup dropped 1.7% despite posting a revenue beat.

Oil prices continued their rise on reports that Israel is preparing for a direct attack by Iran this weekend, in what would be the biggest escalation of tensions in the region since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war last October. U.S. crude settled at $85.66 a barrel after rising above $87.

That, coupled with fresh U.S. imports data, added fuel to inflation concerns that have put pressure on the market.

“We’re getting further risk off sentiment heading into the weekend. You’re seeing there’s a flight to safety trade, with the dollar stronger, and we’re seeing equities sell off,” said Rob Haworth, U.S. Bank Wealth Management senior investment strategist.

“That comes on the heels of the inflation data that tells us the economy’s still pretty hot and inflation is sticky; that’s what led [investors] to really adjust their expectations around the Fed. … That’s some of why they’re getting cautious headed into the weekend,” said Haworth.

Consumers are also growing worried about the persistent inflationary pressures. The consumer sentiment index for April came in at 77.9, below the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 79.9, according to the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers. Year-ahead and long-run inflation expectations also ticked up, reflecting frustrations over sticky inflation.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Caitlin Clark gets her own ‘Ted Lasso’ jersey from Jason Sudeikis

Caitlin Clark is used to receiving honors, but she got a legendary jersey from one of the most well-known coaches in the world: Ted Lasso.

But not only did Clark receive the Wooden Award, she also was given her own personal AFC Richmond jersey from the hit show ‘Ted Lasso,’ and it was delivered by none other than the actor who portrays the coach, Jason Sudeikis.

Sudeikis has been one of the high-profile fans of Clark. He has been in attendance for several Iowa games during Clark’s time with the Hawkeyes and has been seen posing for photos with the NCAA all-time leading scorer. He was shown on the ESPN broadcast several times as he followed Iowa during its run in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, which resulted in Iowa losing in the national championship game to South Carolina.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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What will weather conditions be Sunday for Masters final round?

Will the sun be shining when the green jacket is handed out at Augusta National Golf Club?

It was a wet start to the 2024 edition of the Masters, with the opening round on Thursday delayed. But since then, conditions have improved with the sun out to produce the iconic shots that are known to take place this time of year in Augusta, Georgia. But with the sunshine has come wind gusts that has made it challenging to navigate the course.

As with most sports, weather can greatly affect play, but golfers hoping to capture the green jacket or have a solid finish to the weekend should enjoy the expected conditions for the fourth and final round.

Here is the latest forecast for championship Sunday at the Masters.

Masters weather forecast: Sunday at Augusta

Sunday is predicted to be the hottest day of the weekend, with temperatures expected to hit a high of 85 degrees, according to AccuWeather.

‘Mostly sunny; nice and warmer for crowning a champion,’ AccuWeather said.

The wind is expected to be seven miles per hour, but the wind gusts could play a factor with gusts up to 23 mph. There will be 0% chance of precipitation.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Masters highlights: Tiger Woods has miserable round, full leaderboard

It was an eventful moving day at the Masters.

Tiger Woods will not be among those in contention on Sunday. After making history with a 24th consecutive made cut at Augusta, Woods struggled mightily in the third round Saturday, carding his worst Masters round ever by shooting a 10-over 82.

USA TODAY Sports has all the highlights from the third round, including Tiger Woods’ status, the leaderboard and more:

Who is leading at the Masters 2024? 

Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champ, is out in front at 7 under. He shot a 1-under 71 on Saturday.

What did Tiger shoot today?

Tiger Woods shot a 10-over 82 Saturday. It was the worst round at the Masters he’s ever had.

Complete Masters leaderboard 

Find the live Masters leaderboard here. 

Bryson DeChambeau caps third round with stunning chip for birdie

What a way to cap a round.

Bryson DeChambeau drilled a 77-yard chip and got the backspin roll into the hole to birdie the par-4 18th and keep DeChambeau within striking distance heading into the final round on Sunday.  

It was a bad start to the hole when DeChambeau’s tee shot hooked right and into the woods. On the second shot, DeChambeau got onto the fairway but faced a slim chance of being able to birdie the hole, only for the chip to go in. DeChambeau is now 3-under and in fifth place after the third round.

Scottie Scheffler ends third round on top after birdie on 18

The world No. 1 will head into the final round atop the leaderboard.

Scottie Scheffler recovered from a bad start to the back nine to end the third round at 7-under and in first place.

Scheffler got to 8-under after the third hole, but struggled later when he had a double bogey on the par-4 10th and bogey on the par-4 11th. But then the 2022 Masters champion turned it up on the par-5 13th. He got to the green after the second shot and he drilled a 31-foot putt for eagle. He’d get another birdie and bogey, but capped off the excellent recovery with a birdie on the par-4 18th. 

Just behind Scheffler is Collin Morikawa, who played a nearly mistake-free third round to enter Sunday 6-under par.

Scottie Scheffler makes eagle for share of the lead

Scottie Scheffler is back on top. He’s sunk a lengthy putt for eagle on the 13th hole to take the co-lead with fellow American Colli Morikawa at 3-under for the tournament. Scheffler opened the third round with two birdies in the first three holes, before registering two bogeys and a double-bogey over the next nine. He took advantage of the Par-5, 13th hole and pumped his fist after his eagle putt. It marked his first eagle of the 2024 Masters. 

Collin Morikawa takes the lead on wild day at Augusta

Tricky third-round scoring conditions led to a roller coaster of a leaderboard Saturday afternoon at Augusta National.

Through 13 holes, Collin Morikawa held a solo lead at 6-under. Just two holes prior, there were five golfers tied at that mark.

Youngsters Ludvig Aberg and Nicolai Hojgaard were hanging around at 5-under, as was Max Homa. Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler (4-under) were co-leaders when they teed off their rounds, but both find themselves two shots back.

Xander Schauffele (2-under) shot a 2-under 70 Saturday and could be someone to watch for a potential run tomorrow. — Richard Morin

Tiger Woods wraps up miserable third round

Tiger Woods dropped down the leaderboard on Saturday. The five-time Masters champion bogeyed four of his last five holes in the third round to end the day at 10-over and 11-over for the tournament.

Woods started Saturday right in the mix at 1-over for the tournament, but it appeared that the 23 holes that Woods played on Friday due to a weather delay took their toll on his body.

Woods struggled early and appeared to battle fatigue, registering back-to-back double bogeys on the 7th and 8th holes. He finished Saturday with two birdies, eight bogeys and two double-bogeys. He’s tied for 52nd place. 

Nicolai Hojgaard takes Masters lead

Scottie Scheffler leads the Masters no more. Instead it’s his playing partner, 23-year-old Nicolai Hojgaard, taking the solo lead at 7-under through 10 holes Saturday at Augusta National.

Scheffler started the hole atop the leaderboard but made double-bogey at the 10th to drop to 5-under, good for a fourth-place tie.

Collin Morikawa and Max Homa were in a tie for second place at 6-under.

Hojgaard has never won on the PGA Tour. His best major finishes are T-23 at the 2023 Open Championship at T-50 at the 2023 PGA Championship.

Scottie Scheffler leading through his front nine

The world No. 1 is now atop the Masters leaderboard.

Scottie Scheffler entered the day tied for first place at 6-under, and he emerged through the front nine as the sole leader of the Masters. Scheffler got off to a fast start with birdies on two of the first three holes, but bogeyed the par-3 4th to go back down to 7-under. Scheffler is attempting to win his second Masters in three years after he took home the 2022 title. 

Max Homa and Bryson DeChambeau were tied with Scheffler to start the day and they’ve both kept pace. Each golfer remains 6-under as they wrap up the front nine.

Tiger Woods birdies No. 13 in Masters third round

After a miserable end to his front nine, five-time Masters winner Tiger Woods birdied the par-5 13th to stay even on his back nine as the 48-year-old appeared to stabilize his adventurous third round.

The birdie on 13 was Woods’ second of the day. He also birdied the par-4 fifth and at the time was the only golfer to do so on a tough afternoon for scoring at Augusta National.

Woods now sits at 6-over for the round and 6-over for the tournament.

Elsewhere, Scottie Scheffler held the Saturday lead at 7-under through seven holes. Max Homa (-6) was right on his tail, and Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa (-5) were not far behind. – Richard Morin

Homa, Scheffler tee off, Tiger Woods drops down leaderboard

As the leaders make their way out on the front nine for third-round action at Augusta National, a few contenders are signaling they aim to make some moves on a Saturday.

Collin Morikawa and Ryan Fox have each made up three strokes through their first several holes, a message to leaders Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa and Bryson DeChambeau that their positions may not be safe.

Morikawa’s three birdies to start his round brought him to 6-under overall, good for a second-place tie with DeChambeau and Homa. Scheffler, meanwhile, took a solo lead at 7-under with a 36-foot chip-in for birdie on the first.

After an impressive birdie on No. 5, five-time Masters winner Tiger Woods struggled mightily on the rest of the back nine. He suffered consecutive double-bogeys on seven and eight, and added two more bogies on top of that. He is at 7-over for the tournament.

Tiger Woods struggles on Nos. 6 and 7

After making a sensational birdie on the par-4 fifth, five-time Masters winner Tiger Woods dropped three strokes on his next two holes – including a double-bogey on the seventh.

On a day that has been tough for scoring thus far, Woods had climbed inside the top 20 on the leaderboard through his first five holes but gave it all back with a difficult stretch through six and seven.

It was an adventure to forget for Woods on the par-4 seventh. His tee shot went right. His second shot came up short of a bunker. His third shot went into the bunker. Woods finally found the green in four but needed two putts to find the bottom of the cup.

Woods now sits 3-over for the round and 4-over for the tournament.

– Richard Morin

Tiger Woods birdies No. 5 at Augusta

Tiger Woods sank an 18-footer for the first birdie of the day on the par-4 fifth, getting his round back to even par after dropping a shot on the previous hole. It was just Woods’ seventh career birdie on the hole, which has played as one of the toughest at Augusta National this week.

Woods hit a 313-yard drive that gave him a strong angle on his approach shot, which the five-time Masters champion placed within 20 feet of the pin.

The trickiest part, though, is making the putt on Azalea’s unforgiving green.

He is still Tiger Woods, after all.

— Richard Morin

Tiger Woods through four holes

Although it looked initially as though scoring conditions would be ripe during the third round at Augusta National, most players were finding it difficult just maintaining a par average Saturday.

One of the few who found early struggles was five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods, who was 1-over through his first four holes and 2-over for the tournament.

More than four hours through the round, there was only one birdie or better on holes 4-6.

The first two golfers to go out Saturday, Hideki Matsuyama and Rickie Fowler, both shot 1-under 71 for the round.

– Richard Morin

Tiger Woods tees off Saturday

The five-time Masters winner is off to a good start in the third round.

Tiger Woods made the cut and started his third round 1-over-par. On his opening tee shot, Woods drilled it 305 yards down the fairway, generating a round of applause from the gallery, perhaps a preview of what could be a big day. His second shot landed in the green, 48 feet away from the pin. It was going to be a tough putt to birdie, but Woods got it to two feet away, and he tapped in on his fourth shot for par on the first hole.

Woods is tied for 22nd on the leaderboard.

– Jordan Mendoza

2024 Masters purse breakdown

Not only will the winner of the 2024 Masters earn the coveted green jacket, they’ll take home a record pay day too.

The payout for winning first place will reach another high, as the Augusta National Golf Club announced the purse for the Masters is $20 million. It’s an increase from $18 million in 2023 and $15 million in 2022. With more money being handed out, this year’s winner of the Masters will take home the highest winnings in its storied history.

Here’s how much the top 10 will win:

$3.6 million
$2.16 million
$1.36 million
$960,000
$800,000
$720,000
$670,000
$620,000
$580,000
$540,000

– Jordan Mendoza

Masters moving day: Luke List starts with birdie, eagle

Saturday is shaping up to be a moving day for the golfers at Augusta National.

Low scores were all over the front nine in the first hour-plus of the third round, including a searing start from Luke List that gave fans something to cheer about early.

After holing out from 24 yards for a birdie at No. 1, List hit a beautiful approach shot into the par-5 second to set up the first eagle of the day. By picking up three strokes on his first two holes, List moved up 20 spots on the leaderboard as he approached the tee box on No. 3.

With the leaders sitting at 6-under through two rounds, the top of the leaderboard could look vastly different if conditions continue Saturday.  — Richard Morin

Hideki Matsuyama off to hot start

Hideki Matsuyama is playing like he has nothing to lose.

The 2021 Masters winner opened his third round at Augusta National with two birdies in his first three holes. After making par on the par-4 No. 1, Matsuyama converted an impressive bunker shot on the second as well as a tight approach shot on the third. He nearly made another birdie with a hole out from the bunker on the par-3 fourth, but the ball rimmed out and Matsuyama tapped in for par.

Matsuyama, who began the day at 6-over for the tournament, is still a far way off the top of the leaderboard now at 4-over but his strong start could be a harbinger for prime scoring conditions Saturday. – Richard Morin

Masters champions list

Here are the Masters champions from the past 15 years:

2023 Jon Rahm
2022 Scottie Scheffler
2021 Hideki Matsuyama
2020 Dustin Johnson
2019 Tiger Woods
2018 Patrick Reed
2017 Sergio Garcia
2016 Danny Willett
2015 Jordan Spieth
2014 Bubba Watson
2013 Adam Scott
2012 Bubba Watson
2011 Charl Schwartzel
2010 Phil Mickelson
2009 Angel Cabrera
2008 Trevor Immelman

Masters’ third round tees off

Rickie Fowler and Hideki Matsuyama began play at 9:35 a.m. ET, the first pairing to get underway for Saturday’s third round. 

Max Homa, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau are tied for the lead at 6-under entering Saturday and Tiger Woods is at 1-over for the tournament, setting a record by making his 24th consecutive cut at the Masters. 

Woods tees off at 12:45 p.m. with Scheffler (2:35 p.m.), Homa (2:45) and DeChambeau (2:45) scheduled to begin in the afternoon.

Zach Johnson denies cursing at Masters patrons

Former Masters champion Zach Johnson denied Friday that he directed profanity toward fans at Augusta National.

Television microphones appeared to catch Johnson, who won a green jacket in 2007, shouting an obscenity after making a putt for triple-bogey on the par-3 12th. He then tossed his ball into the creek.

Johnson, who was also the 2023 captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, claimed patrons were more than 150 yards away and that he couldn’t even hear them.

‘That I swore at the patrons? That’s laughable,’ Johnson told reporters after his second round shooting a 3-over 75. ‘That’s completely laughable. I can’t hear the patrons, number one. Number two, I just made a triple bogey on the 12th hole that evidently is going to make me miss the cut, which at the time I knew was pretty sensitive in the sense that I needed to keep making pars.

Masters 2024 TV schedule 

You can check out the complete Masters over-the-air television schedule for all four rounds here. 

The Masters live stream 

For cord-cutters, select focuses of the Masters will be available on Paramount+ and ESPN+ over the four-day event. Cord-cutters can also turn to Fubo, which carries CBS and ESPN. 

Tiger Woods in Masters contention entering Saturday

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods is 48 going on 68 on good days, probably more like 78 on the others. His body is a mess, especially his right leg that was crushed and rebuilt after his 2021 car crash. The only way he can compete on tour these days is to give himself plenty of time between rounds to recover, ice up, get some rest and try again the next day. To circumvent any part of that process is to tempt fate, likely leading to a poor round, a missed cut and one fewer tournament left to be played in Tiger’s storied career.

So how do we explain what happened Friday at the Masters, when Tiger had to play 23 holes in a gusting wind with only a 52-minute break between the first five and the last 18, and actually got better as the day wore on?

“A long day, it’s been a long day, it was a good fight, we did really well out there,” he said afterward, looking absolutely exhausted after a second-round, even-par 72 left him one-over for the tournament. “I’m tired. I’ve been out there for awhile, competing, grinding. It’s been a long 23 holes, a long day.”

But then, as only Tiger could, he spun the conversation to his favorite topic: Winning. Or at least contending. Here. This weekend. Really. 

– Christine Brennan, USA TODAY Sports

Masters odds 

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the favorite to win the title at Augusta National, potentially adding a second green jacket to his collection, according to BetMGM. 

Masters Round 3 start time 

The third round of the Masters starts at 9:35 a.m. ET Saturday when Rickie Fowler and Hideki Matsuyama tee off. 

What time does Tiger Woods tee off at the Masters? 

Tiger Woods is set to tee off at 12:45 p.m. ET. 

Scottie Scheffler: +150 
Bryson DeChambeau: +600 
Max Homa: +1600 
Rory McIlroy: +1600 
Ludvig Aberg: +2200 
Brooks Koepka: +2500 
Joaquin Niemann: +2800 
Tyrrell Hatton: +2800 
Tommy Fleetwood: +3000 

Masters weather forecast: Saturday at Augusta

Saturday’s weather forecast is projected to be sunny with a high of 76 degrees, according to AccuWeather. The site says it will be ‘a great day for golf.’

There is zero percent chance of precipitation after a few days with the threat of rain.

The wind will also be tamer with a speed of nine miles per hour from the west.

Masters 2024 announcers 

ESPN will feature a veteran team of hosts and analysts for its coverage of this year’s tournament. Jim Nantz makes his return for CBS as does Verne Lundquist, who will be calling his final Masters. 

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Tiger Woods out of contention after career-worst round at Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods made history once again on Saturday at the 2024 Masters, just not the positive kind.

The five-time Green Jacket winner carded his worst-ever performance on the first nine at Augusta National Golf Club in his 99 rounds at the Masters, a six-over 42 that featured a closing stretch of bogey-double-double-bogey. His second nine wasn’t much better as Woods labored his way down the stretch to the tune of a third-round, 10-over 82, his highest score ever at the Masters. His previous worst score were the pair of weekend 78s he shot to close out the 2022 Masters, where he finished 47th out of 52 players.

On Saturday he walked off the course at 11 over for the tournament, tied for 52nd place.

Woods had supreme control of his driver over the first two rounds but lost whatever momentum he had with the big stick on Saturday. He sprayed the ball all over Bobby Jones and Alister Mackenzie’s picture-perfect green earth and sprinkled in some shady chipping and putting to put the cherry on top of his round to forget.

‘I didn’t have a very good warmup session, and I kept it going all day today,’ Woods said after his round. ‘Just hit the ball in all the places that I know I shouldn’t hit it. And I missed a lot of putts. Easy, makable putts. I missed a lot of them.’

The weather should’ve been ideal for his surgically repaired body that’s held together by pins and screws, but fatigue set in quickly and his game left just as fast. After his round, Woods said a 23-hole day on Friday to make the cut wore him out.

“I wouldn’t say necessarily mental reps. It’s just that I haven’t competed and played much,’ he said of what went wrong. ‘When I had chances to get it flipped around and when I made that putt at 5, I promptly three-putted 6 and flub a chip at 7 and just got it going the wrong way, and when I had opportunities to flip it, I didn’t.”

Despite his woeful walk around Augusta National on Saturday, Woods isn’t a quitter. He respects the tournament and course too much and frankly has too much pride to walk away with his tail between his legs because he performed poorly. Woods will get treatment Saturday night and Sunday morning, and if he feels good enough to play, will be back out on the course on Sunday to tee it up in his 100th round at one of his favorite courses.

‘My team will get me ready,’ he said of his chances to play Sunday. ‘It will be a long night and a long warmup session, but we’ll be ready.’

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