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House sinks Johnson-backed FISA renewal after Trump push

More than a dozen House GOP privacy hawks have blocked the House of Representatives from advancing a Speaker Mike Johnson-backed bill to renew a controversial federal government surveillance tool known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

It comes hours after former President Trump posted on Truth Social, ‘KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME AND MANY OTHERS.’

Nineteen Republicans voted against their party leadership to tank a procedural vote that would have allowed for the House to debate and then vote on the bill itself. The final vote was 193 to 228. 

The Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act, a compromise bill between the House Judiciary Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is aimed at curbing instances of abuse reported against Trump and others by instituting safeguards on who can access Section 702-collected data, particularly if it involves a U.S. citizen. It also would make it a crime to use backdoor loopholes to improperly access Americans’ data.

But conservative critics of Section 702 have argued the bill does not go far enough to safeguard Americans’ data. 

Among the GOP lawmakers who blocked the bill were: House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good, R-Va.; Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.; Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.; Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La.; Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas; and Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., among others.

The fight has put Johnson in a difficult spot between the House Judiciary Committee and its allies, and the U.S. intelligence community and national security hawks in Congress. The former have cast Section 702 as a tool of exploitation and privacy infringement, while the latter have maintained it’s a narrowly-focused tool critical to preventing terror attacks.

Section 702 is a provision that allows the federal government to conduct warrantless surveillance of a foreign national outside the U.S. if they’re suspected of ties to terrorism — even if the person on the other end of the communications is an American citizen.

The House Judiciary Committee backed an amendment that would force U.S. officials to seek a warrant before querying communications made by an American, which national security-minded Republicans have largely opposed.

One GOP lawmaker compared the amendment’s effects to forcing a police officer to seek a warrant before querying a license plate in their database. 

They explained that if a suspected terrorist overseas is communicating with a U.S. citizen at home, a Section 702 search would already pick up their specific communications with that U.S. citizen. The amendment would force authorities to seek a warrant before seeing the contents of that communication, which critics have warned could waste valuable time in the event of a serious threat.

Multiple sources told Fox News Digital that Johnson spoke out against the amendment during a closed-door meeting with fellow House Republicans on Wednesday, spurring anger from GOP hardliners.

‘Unfortunately, I think the speaker is coming forward, reversing his personal position 180 degrees and weighing in on the Intel side. He’s, unfortunately, I think, surrendered on that notion of neutrality,’ Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., told reporters.

As it stands, FISA Section 702 will expire on April 19 if Congress does not act.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Stocks

Is the Banking System on the Verge of Systemic Implosion? What to Look Out For

2024 will be marked by a massive string of bank failures!!! Well, according to a few economists on the far end of the mainstream economic spectrum, that is.

This sounds alarming, of course, but does the fringe position of its proponents invalidate the thesis?

No Bank Is Safe, as Nearly Every Bank Is Insolvent

The core reason for this impending catastrophe can be linked to the insolvency of almost every bank.

But how’s that even possible? How can they fundamentally validate such an outlandish claim? It’s the consequence of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policies. With interest rates soaring, the value of banks’ government debt holdings is substantially underwater—enough to drown banks’ reserves in a sea of red.

So what’s the big takeaway from the doom-and-gloom pulpit? It’s this: the big implosion is coming, and it’s happening this year.

“But hold on,” the moderate view says, “Not so fast; it can’t be that bad, even if the outcome isn’t all that good.”

Let’s be objective, starting with: What do the technicals say?

The Macro View: Too-Big-To-Fail and Regional Banks

While the risk of a few more bank failures is plausible (since a few tend to happen each year, on average and on a regional level), a string of failures triggering a systemic banking crisis is something else. Can it happen?

CHART 1. PERFCHART OF SMALL AND LARGER BANKS AND THE S&P 500. Note their rapid recovery since the March 2023 banking crisis (quickly stemmed by the Federal Reserve’s Bank Term Funding Program, which ended on March 11, 2024).Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Last year, Silvergate Bank, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), and Signature Bank collapsed, triggering what would have been a much larger crisis had the Federal Reserve not stepped in with its Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP). BTFP aimed to stabilize the banking system by providing loans to banks and credit unions against collateral like US Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities valued at par.

Looking at the chart, you can see how large banks (using KBE and $DJUSBK as proxies) and regional banks (using KRE as a proxy) underwent a rapid recovery. Compared to a year ago, large banks are outperforming the S&P 500 ($SPX) while regional banks, the laggards, are well within positive territory.

The Channel Broke

CHART 2. DAILY CHART OF KBE. Price just broke below the upward trend channel, but the drop in momentum might have forecasted this decline a month ago.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Momentum for KBE, an industry proxy for large banks, began hinting at a bearish divergence in momentum in early March based on the Chaikin Money Flow’s (CMF) extreme downward slope into negative territory. Its rise against the S&P 500 was tepid and steady, but its underperformance against the Dow Jones US Bank Index was as silent as it was foreboding.

KBE finally broke below its uptrend price channel, and the next set of support levels are at the $41, $39, and $37 range. The current decline was triggered by Wednesday’s negative  Consumer Price Index (CPI) results, soon to be followed by Thursday’s Producer Price Index (PPI) numbers. How low can KBE drop? Pay attention to the current earnings season—read the figures,  analyze CEO-issued guidance, and consider (if it’s sensible enough) a few analyst forecasts that aren’t just following (or regurgitating) mainstream opinions.

What about regional banks?

CHART 3. DAILY CHART OF KRE. Regional banks are drastically underperforming their larger counterparts in the banking sector. Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

On March 27, the article KRE’s Impending Plunge: What This Emerging Crisis Means forecasted this decline based on similar technical and fundamental assessments. You can see the divergence between KRE’s price and the CMF. What wasn’t discussed, though, was KRE’s silent (through drastic) underperformance against its larger banking sector counterpart ($DJUSBK). 

The potential support levels are also outlined in the chart above ($45, $44, and $43 range) though its continuing slide, and whether it plunges further will be driven by fundamental conditions. Like KBE, pay attention to the current earnings season’s figures and news.

Is the Implosion Coming?

In the shadow of last year’s banking failures, several economists from the margins of mainstream forecasts ominously predict a widespread banking collapse in 2024. This dire prediction is rooted in the belief that nearly every bank teeters on the brink of insolvency, a crisis precipitated by the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policies, which have left banks’ reserves vulnerable due to devalued government debt holdings.

Of course, this could all be alarmist rhetoric. But if it does play out, partially or entirely, the technical levels and indicators at play can help you navigate the circumstances should you decide to take action, whether it’s bullish or bearish.

Disclaimer: The content in this article is the writer’s opinion and does not constitute financial advice. StockCharts.com does not endorse or guarantee any claims made in this article. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

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Business

‘They can’t get it wrong again’: Economists are increasingly uncertain about Fed rate cuts this year

The U.S. Federal Reserve is determined not to reduce interest rates too soon — and some economists say recent data has pushed a summer cut completely off the table.

Friday’s jobs report reiterated the seemingly unwavering strength of the U.S. labor market and suggested further need for Fed caution. All eyes will now be on Wednesday’s consumer price index, after February’s annual inflation rate of 3.2% came in slightly higher than expected.

It comes as a growing number of market participants have raised the possibility of no rate cuts at all this year, including Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari who said last week that no reductions were a possible scenario if inflation continued to move sideways.

George Lagarias, chief economist at Mazars, told CNBC on Monday that rate cuts in the summer were now looking much less likely.

“Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw less rate cuts and pushed more towards the end of the year,” he told “Squawk Box Europe” on Monday.

“This is a strong economy. Make no mistake, it is backed by debt and somewhat by overburdened credit cards, but it is a strong economy. So the Fed will struggle to find the case to cut rates soon.”

Market pricing reflects the ongoing uncertainty, with the probability of a rate cut now under 50% for both June and July, according to the CME’s FedWatch tool — significantly lower than at the start of the month.

“The Fed has been punishing itself ever since 2021 when ‘team transitory’ ostensibly got it wrong. … What they feel is that they can’t get it wrong again, which means that they’re more likely to err on the side of caution,” Lagarias added.

Despite this, he said it remains “very likely” that there will be rate cuts this year.

“They do have some room to cut, but they don’t want to get it wrong. They do not want to be the Fed that cut rates as inflation kept beating expectations. So they want to see more data toward the right direction and they are willing to wait,” Lagarias added.

Speculation that there could be no interest rate reductions this year has been growing, although economists remain divided.

Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, said last month that he doesn’t expect any cuts as the U.S. economy is “simply not slowing down,” and top U.S. asset manager Vanguard has no rate reductions as its base case for the year.

Whereas former Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Roger Ferguson told CNBC last week he sees a 10%-15% chance of no cuts this year.

Other analysts and economists are still backing the Fed’s own signaling in March that it expects three quarter-percentage point cuts this year.

Based on current growth and inflation forecasts, Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jan Hatzius told CNBC on Friday he would “expect some rate cuts based on what Chair Powell and other Fed officials have said.”

“The timing of that of course is going to depend on near-term data, on the reaction function from the Fed but under our forecast I would be quite surprised if we didn’t get rate cuts this year. Quite surprised.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Business

Economic uncertainty reigns as the grip of inflation persists

Inflation likely remained elevated once again for the month of March, adding another round of price increases to Americans’ already-strained wallets.

On paper, the U.S. economy looks solid. The unemployment rate has now remained below 4% for the longest stretch since the 1960s. Stocks are at all-time highs. The economy continues to add jobs.

But since the start of the pandemic, Americans have seen average prices increase more than 20% overall — giving people a sense that the cost of many goods and services, not to mention housing, has surged to unreasonable levels.

On Wednesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will report inflation readings for March. The consensus forecast is 3.5%, up from 3.2% in February. Excluding food and energy, which represent commodities with more volatile prices, the so-called core reading is expected to have declined slightly, from 3.8% to 3.7%.

So what will cause price growth to finally slow down to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target?

Unfortunately, it usually takes a major economic crisis for broad categories of prices to reverse. Instead, the best consumers can hope for is that they stop going up so fast.

While there are some signs that it’s happening — grocery price increases, for instance, have finally fallen below 2% after surging during the pandemic — economists say it’s likely to still take some time for inflation to truly subside.

Complex economic forces, they say, continue to keep price growth elevated.

A significant worker shortage sparked by the pandemic — especially for front-line service employees — helped push hourly pay higher. But this resulted in pushing up prices on the consumer side, since labor costs represent a significant portion of the overall cost of a given good or service.

Meanwhile, supply-chain disruptions that emerged during the pandemic have yet to fully subside, said Sarah House, a managing director and senior economist at Wells Fargo.

She pointed to automobile prices, which have surged more than 20% since the start of the pandemic for new vehicles and more than 30% for used vehicles. While the pace of their price increases has abated, difficulties in sourcing auto parts, plus the loss of experienced technicians, have pushed vehicle prices higher.

This, in turn, has pushed auto insurance rates higher — and it turns out that car insurance commands a significant percentage of the overall increase in consumer prices.

“The services side is where we’re continuing to see stronger [price] growth,” House said. “That’s where we’re still getting an elevated degree of inflation from.”

Americans’ pay has barely kept up with the price increases. While federal stimulus at the outset of the pandemic helped give people a cash cushion during the worst of it, there is an emerging consensus that this same cushion helped drive prices higher by giving people money to spend.

On net, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that the effect of inflation has caused Americans’ average hourly pay to rise by just a few cents compared with where it was at the start of the pandemic.

The Federal Reserve, which is in charge of taming price growth, in part by raising and lowering interest rates, has sought to fight fire with fire. By raising the cost of borrowing money, the central bank has tried to reduce demand for goods and services, ultimately pushing price growth down.

The Fed’s interest rate hikes have indeed caused borrowing costs for everything from credit cards to automobiles to homes to climb to levels not seen in years.

For many Americans, that’s meant getting locked out of the housing market, not to mention paying credit card rates above 20% and auto loan rates above 8%.

But inflation has persisted, surprising many economists. At the start of the year, the consensus forecast was for economic growth to slow, allowing the Fed to start cutting interest rates this spring, with a total of three cuts for 2024.

But a growing number of analysts now say that, at a minimum, rate cuts will be delayed. Still others say there won’t even be three cuts.

Despite all the challenges, the risk of a recession that would lead to significant job losses remains low. Yet there are signs that consumer jitters are accelerating. The New York Federal Reserve reported Monday that fears of job losses are climbing and that workers who are already out of a job say getting hired is now more difficult than it was prior to the pandemic.

While about one-quarter of Americans report their household financial situation to be better than a year ago, about one-third report being worse off.

It all adds up to a precarious situation. In a speech last week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell called the economic outlook ‘still quite uncertain.’

‘The job of sustainably restoring 2% inflation is not yet done,’ Powell said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Ex-Dodgers pitcher charged with 5 misdemeanor domestic violence counts

Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías was charged with five misdemeanor accounts stemming from an alleged attack on his wife in September, the L.A. City Attorney’s office confirmed Tuesday.

Urías, 27, was charged Monday with two counts of domestic battery involving a dating relationship and one count each of assault, false imprisonment and spousal battery. Urías and his wife were attending a Major League Soccer match on Sept. 3 at BMO Stadium, after which he was arrested, booked and charged with felony domestic violence.

The Department of Public Safety later received cell-phone video of the alleged incident outside the stadium.

Urías is scheduled to be arraigned on May 2.

Urías was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball after the charges were filed, and he did not pitch again for the Dodgers, who a month later were eliminated from the National League playoffs by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Urías became a free agent after the season.

MLB SALARIES: Baseball’s top 25 highest-paid players in 2024

Should he hope to resume his career, Urías would likely face a significant suspension from Major League Baseball under its joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. MLB confirmed that its investigation into the matter is continuing. Past investigations typically do not conclude until pending legal matters are resolved.

Urías served a 20-game suspension from MLB in 2019, after his arrest in May that year on a charge of domestic battery after an altercation with his girlfriend in the parking structure of a Los Angeles mall. He wasn’t prosecuted by the Los Angeles city attorney on the condition he complete a 52-week domestic violence counseling program. No player has been suspended twice under MLB’s joint domestic violence policy.

TMZ first reported that Urías was charged with the misdemeanors.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Yet another MLB uniform foul: Player rips pants open on slide into home

Riley Greene accidentally gave the world a peek inside the new MLB uniforms during the Detroit Tigers’ 5-3 comeback victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday afternoon.

Greene tore his pants sliding into home plate during the Tigers’ four-run ninth-inning rally that turned a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 win. Greene, who was the first Detroit batter to cross home plate in the inning after drawing a leadoff walk, slid into home on a Gio Urshela single that scored him from second base despite no throw to the plate, and ended up tearing his pants with a feet-first slide.

Greene got up with his right pantleg looking like a half-buttoned basketball warm-up in the process of being ripped off, but paid no immediate attention and turned to watch the throw to third base, which ended up sailing into the dugout to also send home pinch runner Zach McKinstry and tie the game, 3-3.

As the Tigers took the lead and tacked on an insurance run, Greene received his customary high-fives in the dugout while also showing off his altered pants. Other Tigers players cracked a smile or burst out into loud laughs as Greene spun to show off the gaping hole running down his right leg.

This was the Tigers’ first known issue with the new MLB uniforms designed by Nike and produced by Fanatics, a switch that has caused quite the uproar around the league during the early months of the season and spring training. The new uniforms have smaller lettering, and as Greene put on full display Tuesday, appear not to have the same level of quality as the old uniforms. In an interview with The Athletic published last week, veteran Tigers reliever Andrew Chafin said the new jerseys aren’t necessarily bad, but said ‘Just, in my opinion, they’re not big-league jerseys” in a story detailing MLB players’ overall disdain for the new getups.

All things Tigers: Latest Detroit Tigers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Other issues that have popped up with uniforms around the league are sweat stains seeping through and becoming very noticeable on gray-colored jerseys and some issues with translucency in the crotch area.

The lettering has been one flaw consistently pointed out in side-by-side photos with old jerseys, showing the much larger lettering on the old ones compared to the new Nike and Fanatics-designed jerseys.

The wardrobe malfunction was just one detail in the Tigers’ furious last-inning rally to leave Pittsburgh 1-1 in the two-game set and move to 7-4 overall early in the season. Detroit is off Wednesday before returning home for an eight-game homestand, starting with a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins beginning Thursday.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Calipari confirms he’s leaving Kentucky after 15 seasons as coach

John Calipari’s tenure at Kentucky has officially concluded.

“The past few weeks, we’ve come to realize that this program probably needs another voice … We’ve loved it here, but we think it’s time for us to step away,’ Calipari said in a video posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. ‘Step away completely from the program.”

Calipari ends his 15-year run with the Wildcats with an overall record of 410-123 (.769), capturing the national championship in 2012, taking national runner-up honors in 2014 and reaching the Final Four on two other occasions (2011 and 2015). He also collected six SEC Tournament titles and won the league’s regular-season championship six times (sharing it once; Texas A&M in 2015-16).

Calipari ranks second in program history (to Hall of Famer Adolph Rupp) in length of tenure, overall victories, Final Four berths, SEC regular-season championships and conference tournament titles.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart thanked the longtime coach following news of his departure.

‘We’re appreciative of John Calipari leading our program for the last 15 years, adding to the legacy of championship success at Kentucky,’ Barnhart said in a statement posted on his personal X account. ‘We’re grateful to John for his many contributions to the University, and our state, both on and off the court.’

Combined with his time at UMass and Memphis, Calipari has an 855-263 (.765) on-court record in 32 seasons as a college coach. (The NCAA recognizes Calipari’s record as 813-261 after it vacated his 38-2 season at Memphis during the 2007-08 campaign.) Calipari also spent three seasons as an NBA head coach, guiding the New Jersey Nets from 1996 to 1998, compiling a mark of 72-112 (.391).

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Alex Ovechkin sets NHL record by scoring 30th goal

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin broke an NHL record Tuesday night as he continues to chase all-time goal leader Wayne Gretzky.

Ovechkin scored his 30th goal of the season in a 2-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings that moved Washington into a playoff spot. It was the 18th time in his career he has hit that milestone, breaking the record he had shared with Hall of Famer Mike Gartner.

The goal ended up being the 129th game-winning goal of his career, leaving him six behind record-holder Jaromir Jagr.

Scoring 30 goals seemed unlikely for Ovechkin before the All-Star break, when he had several long droughts. But he has surged with 18 goals in 24 games, including eight goals in five games. He also has four goals in his last four games.

In the process, he broke Gretzky’s record for empty-net goals and moved into second place all-time with 19 consecutive 20-goal seasons.

Gretzky, who played from 1979-99, has a record 894 regular-season NHL goals. Ovechkin, 38,who passed Gordie Howe last season to move into second place, has 852 goals and needs 43 more to pass Gretzky. Ovechkin has two years left on his contract after this season.

Here’s where he stands in his chase of Gretzky’s goal record:

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have this season?

Ovechkin has 30 goals and is on pace for 32. He needed to average 24 goals a season during his current contract to tie Gretzky’s record. His pace had been for 14 goals before the All-Star break.

How close is Alex Ovechkin to Wayne Gretzky?

Ovechkin, with 852 career goals, needs 43 goals to break Gretzky’s record.

What did Alex Ovechkin do in the Capitals’ last game?

Tuesday: He had one goal on two shots against the Red Wings. He took a pass from T.J. Oshie, skated into the Detroit zone and ripped a wrist shot from the faceoff circle past Detroit goalie Alex Lyon.

How is Alex Ovechkin’s season going?

Much better now than before the All-Star break, when he had an uncharacteristically slow start. Ovechkin had no shots on goal in consecutive games for the first time in his career and only two goals in his first 12 games. He scored three goals over his next three games before going through a career-worst 14-game drought. He went another three games without a goal before scoring in back-to-back games on Dec. 30 and Jan. 2. He had no goals in the eight games surrounding a three-game injury absence.

Ovechkin then got on a roll. He scored on Jan. 27 during the Capitals’ last game before the All-Star break and scored in six of the first seven games after the break. He was held to two goals over 11 games, then had eight goals in his next five games before being shut out in the following four games. He has four goals in his last four games. He’s second on the Capitals with 63 points in 75 games and has moved past Joe Thornton for 13th place in career points (1,548).

When does Alex Ovechkin play next?

The Capitals next play on Thursday at the Buffalo Sabres. Ovechkin has 41 goals in 64 career games vs. the Sabres. He has one assist in two games against them this season.

Who are the NHL’s top all-time goal scorers?

The top 20 NHL all-time goal scorers have all topped 600 goals. All are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, except Ovechkin and Jaromir Jagr, who has suited up this season in the Czech Republic.

1. Wayne Gretzky,  894 goals in 1,487 games

2. Alex Ovechkin, 852 goals in 1,422 games

3. Gordie Howe, 801 goals in 1,767 games

4. Jaromir Jagr, 766 goals in 1,733 games

5. Brett Hull, 741 goals in 1,269 games

6. Marcel Dionne, 731 in 1,348 games

7. Phil Esposito, 717 goals in 1,282 games

8. Mike Gartner, 708 goals in 1,432 games

9. Mark Messier, 694 goals in 1,756 games

10. Steve Yzerman, 692 goals in 1,514 games

11. Mario Lemieux, 690 goals in 915 games

12. Teemu Selanne, 684 goals in 1,451 games

13. Luc Robitaille, 668 goals in 1,431 games

14. Brendan Shanahan, 656 goals in 1,524 games

15. Dave Andreychuk, 640 goals in 1,639 games

16. Jarome Iginla, 625 goals in 1,554 games

17. Joe Sakic, 625 goals in 1,378 games

18. Bobby Hull, 610 goals in 1,063 games

19. Dino Ciccarelli, 608 goals in 1,232 games

20. Jari Kurri, 601 goals in 1,251 games

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Way-too-early Top 25 men’s basketball rankings for 2024-25

The men’s college basketball season has just concluded with Connecticut again cutting down the nets. But there’s little time to savor the success of winning the national championship because it’s already time to look ahead to how the 2024-25 campaign will shake out and who will be the contenders to reach the Final Four in San Antonio.

It’s admittedly a difficult endeavor to predict next season in the era of the transfer portal and the coaching carousel still spinning with major jobs open. It’s also unclear which players will choose to return for a fifth season by using their COVID-19 waiver or who will enter the NBA draft.

For the purposes of this exercise, we’ve assumed that most players will return unless projected as a likely top selection in the draft. But there’s a lot of moving parts and none of these rankings are set in stone. Here goes nothing.

1. Duke (27-9)

A six-member recruiting class led by Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach, Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel will make Duke one of the deepest and most dangerous teams in the country. It will also be one of the youngest. It will be on coach Jon Scheyer to push all the right buttons and find the best rotation for a team that looks on paper to be very capable of winning the national title. The Blue Devils will lose multiple starters to the NBA but could have guard Tyrese Proctor and forward Mark Mitchell return.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

2. Alabama (25-12)

Bringing back guard Mark Sears would make Alabama an SEC favorite and a contender to get back to the Final Four. Another player with a decision to make is forward Grant Nelson, who put himself on the map during the tournament. Nate Oats has three top recruits joining the mix and has already added one possible impact transfer in former Pepperdine guard Houston Mallette, an expected starter.

3. Iowa State (29-8)

The arrow is pointing up for a program that has arrived under coach T.J. Otzelberger. Iowa State will have a great backcourt led by Keshon Gilbert, Tamin Lipsey and Curtis Jones. But the Cyclones have some holes to fill in the frontcourt. ISU will lean on redshirt freshman JT Rock and Charlotte transfer Dishon Jackson while looking for more production from returners Milan Momcilovic and Demarion Watson.

4. Kansas (23-11)

Things will get better after an uncharacteristically down season for Bill Self’s program, though the Jayhawks’ chances of climbing back to the top of the Big 12 depends largely on whether center Hunter Dickinson opts to return for his final year of eligibility and Johnny Furphy stays for his sophomore year. If so, KU will have a more veteran roster buoyed by the additions of transfers Riley Kugel (Florida) and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State).

5. Connecticut (37-3)

The Huskies are set for a rebuild. There are major losses in the backcourt (Cam Spencer, Tristen Newton, Hassan Diarra) along with the likely departures of freshman Stephon Castle and center Donovan Clingan into the NBA draft. Look for UConn to be active in the portal and build around expected returners Alex Karaban and Samson Johnson. Given the past two seasons, trusting Dan Hurley to sort this out is a wise prediction.

6. North Carolina (29-8)

First, UNC is waiting for decisions from RJ Davis and Harrison Ingram: Davis has probably achieved enough to head off to the NBA, though Ingram could use another year as the Tar Heels’ focal point to hone his skills. Hubert Davis will definitely bring back guard Elliott Cadeau while working to get reserves such as guard Seth Trimble ready for a bigger role. UNC has some major recruits arriving on campus but will definitely be active in the portal.

7. Creighton (25-10)

Baylor Scheierman is gone after a wonderful two-year run with the program. Creighton could bring back a pair of fifth-year seniors in Ryan Kalkbrenner and Steven Ashworth, with Ashworth almost certain to come back and Kalkbrenner still weighing his options. If Kalkbrenner does come back, the Bluejays can build around one of the top big men in the country. Greg McDermott also has a top-20 recruiting class on the way. And if guard Trey Alexander can be convinced to come back, Creighton will be a title contender.

8. Tennessee (27-9)

Tennessee loses three key pieces in Dalton Knecht, Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi. Rick Barnes will have to go back into the transfer portal to find some scoring on the wing to replace Knecht. (Good luck with that.) But the Volunteers will be a veteran team potentially led by four seniors in Zakai Zeigler, Jonas Aidoo, Jahmai Mashack and Jordan Gainey. That’s a strong starting point for a team good enough to win another SEC regular-season crown.

9. Purdue (34-5)

It will be hard to imagine the Boilermakers without Zach Edey in the middle. The returners next season will be familiar, though. Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith will be back for their third years as starters. Mason Gillis – the team’s top 3-point percentage shooter – could stay and join returners Trey Kaufman-Renn, Myles Colvin and Camden Heide poised for bigger roles. Kanon Catchings leads recruiting class big on quality and quantity.

10. Brigham Young (23-11)

The Cougars settled into the the Big 12 in their first season comfortably and look well-equipped to handle increased competition with the arrival of four teams from the Pac-12. How good they will be depends on the status of leading scorer Jaxson Robinson (14.2 ppg). His return with Fousseyni Traore and Trevin Knell along with key depth players would make Mark Pope’s team one of the best in the country’s toughest conference.

11. Baylor (24-11)

Ja’Kobe Walter and Yves Missi are expected to enter the NBA draft, but a reversal of either or both would make this rating too low. Still, the Bears will again be talented and among the best teams in the Big 12. Langston Love and Jayden Nunn will form an excellent backcourt. Jalen Bridges could be a major piece in the frontcourt if he stays. Incoming freshmen VJ Edgecombe and Rob Wright will have a big impact.

12. Houston (32-5)

How the Cougars go forward without Jamal Shead is a concern. LJ Cryer staying for another season would make the transition much smoother as he would for a strong guard group with Emanuel Sharp. J’Wan Roberts is another player able to return to bolster the frontcourt with Ja’Vier Francis.

13. Clemson (24-12)

A repeat of the Tigers’ journey to the Elite Eight will be a challenge, but a number of the key players could be back if they choose to use their extra year. That group includes standout postman P.J. Hall, as well as guard Chase Hunter and reserve forward Jack Clark. Joseph Girard III is gone, but Ian Schieffelin, voted the ACC’s most improved player in 2023-24, is also slated to return.

14. Gonzaga (27-8)

Anton Watson’s run at his home-town school is over, but the Bulldogs shouldn’t slip much. Forward Graham Ike should be back, along with the backcourt tandem of Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman. Incoming Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi could provide another scoring option from the wing. With eight consecutive Sweet 16 appearances, it’s not difficult to assume Mark Few will be there next year.

15. Kentucky (23-10)

Who will be hired to replace John Calipari? Will the new hire be able to keep together another terrific recruiting class? Will projected returnees such as D.J. Wagner follow Calipari to Arkansas or hang around? And with as many as four players off to the NBA draft, could this roster be completely different come next season? The Wildcats will be talented but there are a lot of question marks.

16. Saint Mary’s (26-8)

The Gaels retain most of the core group that swept the WCC regular-season and tournament titles with center Mitchell Saxen’s decision to return. Aidan Mahaney should also be back along with Augustas Marciulionis and Joshua Jefferson, giving Saint Mary’s an excellent chance to go dancing for a fourth consecutive year and maybe win the league again.

17. UCLA (16-17)

The Bruins had a setback with a losing record in a rebuilding year after tournament success. They’re ready for a comeback next season. Mick Cronin has already landed guard Skyy Clark (Louisville) and Kobe Johnson (Southern California) in the portal to go with a core group of four double-figure scorers led by Dylan Andrews and Adem Bona. UCLA will have to acclimate itself to the Big Ten schedule but look to be well-stocked for the challenge.

18. Marquette (27-10)

It’s possible the Golden Eagles could return every key contributor due to the COVID eligibility year, but it’s likely that All-America point guard Tyler Kolek and forward Oso Ighodaro will be off to the next level. Shaka Smart will have a good nucleus in place if Cam Jones and David Joplin come back, but adding size up front will be a priority.

19. Illinois (29-9)

This ranking is based on the expectation that Brad Underwood will again nail the transfer portal and bring in key pieces because losing Terrence Shannon and probably Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins is a big setback. Ty Rodgers and Luke Goode were key contributors season and freshmen Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Amani Hansbury should take a big jump forward. Underwood already added from Jake Davis from Mercer and is in pursuit of others. The biggest boost could come from big man Morez Johnson, one of the nation’s top recruits.

20. Arizona (27-9)

After another tournament disappointment, the Wildcats should have another strong regular season. How good depends on what Caleb Love decides on his future with Oumar Ballo in the portal. Jaden Bradley and Kylan Boswell should form a strong backcourt and there’s incoming talent with top recruits Carter Bryant and Jamari Phillips. There will be an adjustment in the Big 12 that may take some time.

21. Wisconsin (22-14)

Forward Tyler Wahl is gone and swingman A.J. Storr has entered the portal, so coach Greg Gard has some holes to fill. But Chuckie Hepburn should be back to run point with John Blackwell and Max Klesmit joining him in the backcourt. There is returning size in the frontcourt – notably leading rebounder Steven Crowl – to make this a team that finishes in the upper half of the Big Ten.

22. Indiana State (32-7)

The Sycamores could return the entire starting lineup that reached the NIT title game, but all those players have decisions to make now that head coach Josh Schertz is off to Saint Louis. But should Robbie Avila, Ryan Conwell and the rest of the starters stick around, the Missouri Valley could be there for the taking with Drake also under new management.

23. Auburn (27-8)

The Tigers will need some retooling with Johni Broome likely to enter the NBA draft. That would leave guard Chad Baker-Mazara (10.0 ppg) as the lone double-digit scorer remaining. Aden Holloway and Tre Donaldson also are backcourt mainstays and top recruit Tahaad Pettiford brings more talent to the group. The concern is how Bruce Pearl sorts out the frontcourt. The portal might be the best option.

24. Boise State (22-11)

Boise’s the pick to top the Mountain West and maybe even win a tournament game under longtime coach Leon Rice. Chibuzo Agbo and Tyson Degenhart might test the draft and portal but are expected to come back. There’s also a fixture in the middle in big man O’Mar Stanley. Boise State’s looking to get more improvement from young guard Roddie Anderson III, who had a strong finish to his sophomore season.

25. Rutgers (15-17)

A transition season under coach Steve Pikiell will yield a nice jump up the Big Ten standings. To start, Rutgers will bring in two high-impact true freshmen in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, who will join a backcourt that has already added a veteran scorer in Eastern Michigan transfer Tyson Acuff. Harper and Bailey are the stars of a recruiting class that ranks in the top five nationally and will give Rutgers a huge influx of talent and athleticism.

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Every current champion in WWE, NXT after WrestleMania 40

The biggest WrestleMania in history brought major change to the WWE championship picture.

In WWE, champions reign supreme, and at WrestleMania 40, six of the main roster’s nine titles switched hands at the two-day event in Philadelphia.

There are stars all over the WWE roster, but the ones that are held in the highest regard are the ones that secure titles. Legends like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Stone Cold Steve Austin and John Cena made names for themselves by capturing championship belts. And while titles have changed design − or even name − in recent years, they still hold high prestige in the wrestling world.

There are nine championships on the main roster and there are five more in NXT. Here are all the championship holders in WWE, as well as how long they’ve held their title:

Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes finished the story when he defeated Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 on April 7 to captured the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and end Reigns’ time as champion at 1,316 days.

As of April 9, Rhodes has been champion for two days.

World Heavyweight Championship: Damian Priest

Damian Priest pulled off a stunner at WrestleMania 40 on April 7 when he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and defeated Drew McIntyre, who had just won the World Heavyweight Championship minutes before.

As of April 9, Priest has been champion for two days.

WWE Women’s Championship: Bayley

Bayley won the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 40 on April 7 when she defeated former Damage CTRL partner Iyo Sky. Bayley got the title shot after winning the 2024 women’s Royal Rumble.

As of April 9, Bayley has been champion for two days.

Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley

‘Mami’ of The Judgment Day has been a dominant force in the women’s division. The 2023 women’s Royal Rumble winner won the Smackdown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39 when she defeated Charlotte Flair on April 1, 2023. When Ripley moved to ‘Raw’ after the WWE Draft, the title was rebranded as the Women’s World Championship, with a new design.

As of April 9, Ripley has been champion for 374 days.

Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn ended the longest Intercontinental Championship reign in WWE history when he defeated Gunther on April 6 at WrestleMania 40. It is his fourth time winning the title.

As of April 9, Zayn has been champion for three days.

United States Championship: Logan Paul

Social media star Logan Paul has impressed during his time in WWE. The United States Championship is his first championship since his in-ring debut in 2022. He won the title at Crown Jewel on Nov. 4, 2023, defeating Rey Mysterio.

As of April 9, Paul has been champion for 157 days.

SmackDown Tag Team Championship: Austin Theory and Grayson Waller (A-Town Down Under)

A-Town Down Under won the SmackDown tag team title at WrestleMania 40 in the six-pack ladder match when it became the first team to grab the titles, ending The Judgment Day’s reign as unified tag team champions.

As of April 9, Theory and Waller have been champions for three days.

Raw Tag Team Championship: R-Truth and The Miz (The Awesome Truth)

The Awesome Truth won the Raw tag team title at WrestleMania 40 on April 6 in the six-pack ladder match that ended in The Judgment Day losing both the Raw and SmackDown championships.

As of April 9, R-Truth and The Miz have been champions for three days.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Asuka and Kairi Sane (Kabuki Warriors)

Asuka and Sane won the title on ‘Smackdown’ on Jan. 26, 2024. They defeated Kayden Carter and Katana Chance, who had won the title in December.

As of April 9, Asuka and Sane have been champions for 74 days.

NXT Champions

NXT Championship: Ilja Dragunov − won on Sept. 30, 2023.

NXT Women’s Championship: Roxanne Perez − won on April 6, 2024.

NXT North American Championship: Oba Femi − won on Jan. 9, 2024.

NXT Tag Team Championship: Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin − won on Feb. 13, 2024.

NXT Heritage Cup Championship: Charlie Dempsey − won on Feb. 27, 2024.

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