Archive

2025

Browsing

The 2025 NCAA Softball Tournament regional round is wrapping up.

That means the field in contention for the Women’s College World Series shrinks from 64 teams to 16 ahead of next weekend. The next round is the super regionals, a three-game series between two programs with the chance to advance to the WCWS in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The top eight seeds are in line to host the super regional round. However, one of the remaining top 16 seeds could be in line to host if one of the top eight seeds falters. The 2025 tournament has already provided upsets with No. 10 LSU falling ahead of Sunday’s championship games. A handful of other ranked teams enter Sunday needing two wins to keep their seasons alive.

Here’s what you need to know about who is advancing to the Super Regionals, the hosts and when the games start:

Who’s in NCAA softball tournament Super Regionals?

This list will be updated as programs clinch spots in the Super Regional round of the 2025 NCAA softball tournament.

No. 3 Florida (Will host Gainesville Super Regional)
No. 7 Tennessee (Will host Knoxville Super Regional)
No. 8 South Carolina (Will host Columbia Super Regional)

Super Regional schedule, how to watch

All times Eastern

Schedule will be updated as it becomes available.

When are the NCAA softball tournament Super Regionals?

The 2025 NCAA softball tournament super regionals are scheduled to begin on Thursday, May 22, and run through Sunday, May 25. Across eight super regional sites, 16 teams will play three-game series to determine who advances to the WCWS.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday defended the ‘aggressive’ timetable he is pushing to advance President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ saying the House remains on track to pass the ‘historic’ legislative package by Memorial Day. 

The House Budget Committee will reconvene at 10 p.m. Sunday night after a vote to advance the more than 1,100-page ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ failed Friday, when five Republicans sided with committee Democrats to sink Trump’s sweeping tax bill. 

‘We’re on track, working around the clock to deliver this nation-shaping legislation for the American people as soon as possible,’ Johnson said during an appearance on ‘Fox News Sunday’ regarding ongoing negotiations. ‘All 11 of our committees have wrapped up their work, and they spent less and saved more than even we’ve projected initially. This really is a once in a generation opportunity that we have here.’ 

After the bill advances through the budget committee, Johnson said the plan is to move the legislative package to the House Rules Committee by mid-week and then to the House floor by the end of the week ‘so we meet our initial, our original Memorial Day deadline.’ 

‘It’s very important for people to understand why we’re being so aggressive on the timetable and why this really is so important,’ Johnson said. ‘This is the vehicle through which we will deliver on the mandate the American people gave us during the last election. You’re going to have historic savings for the American people, historic tax relief for American workers, historic investments in border security.

‘At the same time, we’re restoring American energy dominance, and we’re rebuilding the defense industrial base, and we’re ensuring that programs like Medicaid and SNAP are strengthened for U.S. citizens who need and deserve them and not being squandered away by illegal aliens and persons who are ineligible to receive them and are cheating the system,’ he added.

Johnson reiterated that making Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent by 2026 is critical and stressed that the package also eliminates taxes on overtime and tips – a 2024 Trump campaign promise. He said it also includes new tax relief for seniors on Social Security and cuts taxes on ‘job creators, so that will help everybody across the country at the same time as incentivizing American-made production and manufacturing.’ 

‘This is a big thing. We cannot fail, and we’ll get it done for the American people,’ Johnson said. 

South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman and Texas Rep. Chip Roy are among critics from Johnson’s own party who say the speaker is not serious about cutting spending. They want work requirements for able-bodied adult Medicaid recipients to be implemented sooner than 2029 – a view Johnson told ‘Fox News Sunday’ that he shares, but the speaker added there is concern over the ability of the states to ‘retool their systems and ensure the verification process’ can be enforced. 

‘We’re working through all those details, and we’ll get it done, but I’ll tell you what, this is the largest spending reduction in at least three decades, probably longer. It’s historic,’ Johnson said, adding that the package has the support of Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, as well as ‘nearly 500 organizations across the conservative spectrum’ including fiscally responsible groups who believe ‘that we’ve got to turn the tide in spending.’

‘We are. This is our opportunity to do it. It’s once in a generation, as I’ve said, and we can’t squander it,’ Johnson said. 

The speaker said that while he is confident he will be able to reach a compromise on the Medicaid work requirement to squash internal disputes, Republican leadership does not expect a single Democrat to vote for the bill. 

‘Which means that they will be on record apparently supporting the largest tax increase in U.S. history, which is what will happen by default after the end of this year if we do not get this job done. We have to accomplish this mission, and we will.,’ Johnson said.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The release of audio recordings of former President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur have intensified criticism of the administration’s use of an autopen on official presidential orders and pardons.

The damning tapes, which bring Biden’s alarming mental decline into sharp relief, were kept under wraps by Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland. Now that Biden’s cognitive problems have been bared, some are calling for Garland to face prosecution for rejecting Congressional demands to release the tapes when he ran the Department of Justice (DOJ).

‘Key decisions made in the final days of the Biden presidency, including using autopens to issue blanket pardons for the Biden Crime Family, must be fully examined. There are serious concerns that President Biden lacked the mental capacity to authorize those actions,’ House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., posted to X on Saturday. 

Axios released hours of Biden’s interview with the special counsel’s office on Saturday – a year and a half after the interviews were held across a two-day period in the fall of 2023. The recordings showed the former president tripping over his words, slurring sentences, taking long pauses between answers and struggling to remember key moments in his life, including the year his son Beau Biden died of cancer. 

The recordings have further bolstered conservative outrage stretching back years that Biden’s mental acuity had cratered and that the Delaware Democrat who had served in the Senate for decades had become a ‘shadow’ of himself and was unfit to lead the country as president. 

The flurry of pardons Biden allegedly signed by autopen in the waning days of his administration included ones for his son Hunter Biden, his siblings and their spouses, retired Gen. Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members and staff of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview on Sunday that he has long sounded the alarm over the validity of Biden’s pardons, as many lacked specifically what charges an individual was protected against. Instead, many of the pardons outlined blanket protections, such as preemptively pardoning Milley and Fauci from potential prosecution and blanket pardons for unidentified members of Congress who served on the J6 select committee. 

‘I’ve been long of the position that the pardons, many of the pardons, are not valid based on the fact that they don’t pardon anything. It’s just a pardon for conduct that’s unnamed … it’s further confirmation that the pardons are not valid,’ said Fitton, who had sued for the release of the audio recordings. 

‘A competent president would say, ‘How is it I could pardon someone for nothing?’’ he continued. 

Fitton added that ‘more importantly, Biden should still be prosecuted’ after he was ‘mollycoddled’ by the Biden DOJ during the investigation into the documents he possessed from his days in the Senate and when he served as vice president. 

‘The audio shows he was mollycoddled by the Justice Department, you know, because Hur was working for the Justice Department. … There’s an argument that the records he had as vice president, he could have. But that wasn’t the position of Justice Department. But certainly he didn’t have the right to have those records from his days of the Senate,’ Fitton said. 

President Donald Trump railed on Truth Social that the release of the audio recordings revealed a ‘bigger scandal’ about the use of an autopen under the Biden White House. 

‘Whoever had control of the ‘AUTOPEN’ is looking to be a bigger and bigger scandal by the moment,’ Trump posted to Truth Social on Friday.

He added: ‘THIS IS WHY THE UNSELECT COMMITTEE OF POLITICAL THUGS, WHO WERE GIVEN A FULL AND COMPLETE PARDON BY THE PERSON WHO WIELDED THE NOW ILLEGALLY USED AUTOPEN, DELETED AND DESTROYED ALL EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION FROM THEIR CORRUPT AND VICIOUS WITCH HUNT AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE, WHOSE LIVES WERE COMPLETELY SHATTERED AND DESTROYED BY THIS HISTORICALLY CRIMINAL EVENT.’

Autopen signatures are automatically produced by a machine, as opposed to an authentic, handwritten signature. The conservative Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project first investigated the Biden administration’s use of an autopen earlier this year and found that the same signature was on a bevvy of executive orders and other official documents, while Biden’s signature on the document announcing his departure from the 2024 race varied from the apparent machine-produced signature.

The reports led to speculation that Biden aides had approved of executive orders and sweeping pardons, not the president. 

Hur led an investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents following his departure as vice president under the Obama administration. Hur announced in February 2024 that he would not recommend criminal charges against Biden for possessing classified materials after his vice presidency, citing that Biden is ‘a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.’

Although a transcript was released, the White House asserted executive privilege over releasing recordings after Garland urged the administration not to release the recordings, according to a letter obtained by Fox News in May of last year. 

‘The audio recordings of your interview and Mr. Zwonitzer’s interview fall within the scope of executive privilege. Production of these recordings to the Committees would raise an unacceptable risk of undermining the Department’s ability to conduct similar high-profile criminal investigations–in particular, investigations where the voluntary cooperation of White House officials is exceedingly important,’ Garland wrote in a letter to Biden last year, justifying why the recordings should not be released.  

Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-OH, subpoenaed the Department of Justice in February 2024 for the recordings and other materials related to the interview and investigation, but to no avail. The House voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress over the matter in June 2024. 

Comer announced on Friday that his committee will continue ‘its investigation into the cover-up of Biden’s mental decline and use of autopen’ and the use of the pen when Biden pardoned members of his family.  

‘The American people deserve to know who was actually calling the shots in the Biden White House, because it wasn’t Joe Biden. His mental decline was obvious to anyone paying attention. But instead of being honest, the Biden Administration, Democrats in Congress, and the legacy media lied and covered it up. They gaslit the American people while propping up a man who was unfit to lead,’ Comer said in a press release on Friday, noting that Garland ‘defied’ a subpoena to release the recordings. 

‘Key decisions made in the final days of the Biden presidency, including using autopens to issue blanket pardons for the Biden Crime Family, must be fully examined. There are serious concerns that President Biden lacked the mental capacity to authorize those actions. The American people are done being lied to. We’re going to bring the truth into the light, and starting next week, those involved in the cover-up will begin to be put on notice,’ Comer said in a statement on Friday. 

The recordings ‘demonstrate that Biden was completely out of it, and we already found documents that the Biden White House had changed the transcript, edited it to hide this. This is what they were hiding. There’s got to be accountability. Garland should be prosecuted by the Attorney General over the contempt he had for Congress to hide this,’ Fitton said on Fox News last week. 

Fox News host Mark Levin said Garland ‘should be forced to testify before Congress under oath’ over the alleged cover-up of Biden’s health. 

‘Former Attorney General Garland heard these recordings and used lies and deceit to prevent them from being released to the American people before the Democrats nominated Biden. He should be forced to testify before Congress under oath and held to account for his grotesque abuse of power,’ Levin posted to X. 

Hours before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, the White House announced pardons for both Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

Less than a half an hour before Trump became president, Biden pardoned members of his family, including his brother James B. Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens, brother-in-law John T. Owens and brother Francis W. Biden. 

The former president had previously issued a ‘full and unconditional pardon’ to his adult son, Hunter Biden, after he was convicted in two separate federal cases last year. Hunter Biden’s pardon covered a 10-year period, between 2014 to 2024, for any offenses he may have committed. 

‘I do think that the Biden pardons need some scrutiny, and they need scrutiny because we want pardons to matter and to be accepted and to be something that’s used correctly. So, I do think we’re going to take a hard look at how they went and what they did. And if they’re null and void,’ Ed Martin said in his final press conference while serving as acting U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. 

Trump claimed on Truth Social in March that Biden’s pardons were ‘void’ due to the ‘fact that they were done by Autopen.’ 

‘The ‘Pardons’ that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen,’ Trump claimed in a Truth Social post.

‘In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime,’ Trump added.

Martin, who will now lead the Department of Justice’s ‘Weaponization Working Group’ targeting political corruption within the federal law enforcement department, added in a media interview earlier this month that he had been investigating Biden’s last-minute pardons. 

‘When [former President] Bill Clinton pardoned Marc Rich, and it turned out that Marc Rich had paid a boatload of money to one of Clinton’s friend’s lawyers. That’s not corrupt, it’s not criminal, because the plenary power of the pardon. But in the case of Joe Biden and his pardons, they were so specific. Back 14 years, covering everything you’ve ever done. And when I say specific, they were broad, but they had time stuff on them,’ Martin said earlier this month, according to the Daily Caller News Foundation. 

‘And that at least leads to questions, because the plenary power’s true. But the question is what is going on here, and I did get responses from some of them and those questions are ongoing,’ Martin continued.

Conservative social media users have sounded off that the recordings show Biden lacked the cognitive ability to know about the pardons or executive orders he allegedly signed off on. 

‘Joe Biden had no clue where he was for most of his presidency… Just listen to Robert Hur’s interview with him… He’s a complete mess. There’s no way Biden knew about the pardons, executive orders and directives coming out of his office,’ conservative X commentator Tim Young posted to the platform.

‘I’d say with the Hur tapes coming out, maybe those pardons can be challenged? Biden was CLEARLY mentally incapacitated,’ conservative podcast host Shawn Farash posted to X. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment on the tapes and subsequent backlash on Sunday morning but did not immediately receive a reply. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

In a few weeks, they’re going to start tearing down what’s left of old Pimlico, a historic racetrack that has been rotting in the middle of Baltimore for decades, revived year after year only for one reason: When you have the middle jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown, you do whatever you can not to lose it. 

As Journalism won Saturday’s 150th edition of the Preakness, surviving one of the most rough-and-tumble stretch runs you’ll ever see and coming back from what seemed like an impossible position with 1/8th of a mile to go, you can understand why the state of Maryland is about to invest $400 million to give the place the facelift it deserves. 

Yes, even in a fractured sport that struggles to gain mainstream interest outside of five weeks every year, the Preakness still matters and Maryland lawmakers have put huge stakes on the table to keep it. 

But that investment isn’t going to pay off unless horse racing gets its act together. As thrilling as Saturday’s race was, and as great of a horse as Journalism appears to be, did anyone but the sport’s dwindling die-hards care? 

The answer, of course, is not really. The moment Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty was withdrawn from consideration for the Preakness, the race was essentially rendered meaningless in the greater sports landscape. 

And it didn’t have to be that way. 

In the old days, a rematch between Sovereignty and Journalism – who ran eyeball-to-eyeball in the Derby until the former pulled ahead in the stretch – would have been worth at least a few headlines over the last couple weeks. 

Instead, Sovereignty’s connections decided that coming back just two weeks after the Derby, which is almost unheard of at any level of horse racing these days, was not a good fit for their horse. We’ll see him again in three weeks at Belmont, rested and ready. 

With the Preakness field coming up pretty weak, Journalism trainer Michael McCarthy threw his hat in the ring and got rewarded with a victory in a $2 million race. But given the two hard races he already has under his belt, the odds of bringing Journalism to New York for a rematch are low. 

Maybe they’ll meet again in late August at the Travers Stakes, known in racing as the mid-summer Derby, or the season-ending Breeders’ Cup Classic. It’s possible the Derby will end up being their only meeting. 

And given the way this Triple Crown has played out through two races, we’ll always wonder “what if?”

What a blown opportunity for a sport that could use the kind of rivalry we used to see all the time, whether it was Affirmed and Alydar or Sunday Silence and Easy Goer. The best raced against the best in the biggest races over and over again. The horses had actual fan bases who showed up at the track. The owners and trainers often didn’t like each other.

And it was awesome for horse racing, for the broadcasters, for the bettors and casual fans who just wanted to tune in for some human and equine drama. 

Can it ever get back to that? 

Not the way the Triple Crown is structured these days.

The problem with changing anything about the Triple Crown is that Churchill Downs, Pimlico and the New York Racing Association all operate as separate entities. If you want to move the Preakness two weeks later, well, you need to get Belmont first to move their race later in the calendar, too. 

That’s not so easy when everyone has their own piece of real estate. 

But the most powerful people in horse racing need to understand one thing: It is to the benefit of everyone if the best horses run in all three legs of the Triple Crown. And it’s especially crucial to Maryland, which is about to start this massive construction project on the premise that the Preakness is going to attract the Derby winner every single year barring injury. 

Unless that happens, Maryland has wasted its time and money. And it’s not so good for Belmont’s piece of the pie, either, if there’s almost never going to be a chance for a Triple Crown winner – or at least a sustained rivalry – on its biggest day. 

As Pimlico closes its doors and moves the Preakness about 15 miles south to Laurel Park for a couple years, all the relevant entities need to get in a room and decide what’s best for the future and for horse racing. 

Because even a great race and a great horse doesn’t do much to keep your sport relevant when there’s no overarching story to tell. 

That’s just basic Journalism. 

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Mass equals gas.

It’s a refrain you hear from today’s pitchers, even from early adolescent ages, bent on increasing their velocity with added size. It’s not just baseball.

Walk around a high school athletic field, court or track and you’ll see kids who are larger and sleeker than they were just a decade or two ago.

Young athletes are lifting weights and taking over-the-counter dietary supplements in an attempt to gain size and power. The three most common of these performance enhancing substances (PES), according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Creatine, caffeine and protein supplements.

‘I think sometimes what happens is that a child who’s really interested in adding strength and muscle bulk, they’ll do a lot of things at the same time,’ says Rebecca Carl, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, ‘and so then it’s not clear if they’re taking caffeine and creatine and they’re on protein supplements and they’re lifting what’s helping them.

‘There’s a big issue with contamination,’ she says.

How much do supplements help? How safe are they? USA TODAY Sports spoke with Carl, a sports medicine physician and associate professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, about children and adolescents’ use of popular supplements and healthy weight gain.

Creatine: Benefits ‘really doubtful’ for kids

According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), creatine is produced in your liver, kidneys, and pancreas, then stored as phosphocreatine in your muscles, and our bodies use phosphocreatine to help ‘jumpstart’ during exercise.

The USADA says creatine is also found in red meat, salmon, milk, eggs and mollusks.

Taking in the compound as a supplement, however, is highly popular but also somewhat controversial among the adolescent population.

While you might know a coach who suggests taking creatine supplements, the AAP doesn’t recommend children or adolescents take them.

‘There are not studies demonstrating safety in children/adolescents,’ Carl says. ‘More recent reviews suggest that creatine can be used safely but these are generally studies of adults.

‘Your body can make creatine so it’s not needed in the diet. There is creatine found naturally occurring in things like meat and fish. But taking it as a supplement, we don’t know if there’s harm in doing that for children.

‘The other thing is it has a very narrow performance benefit.’

Carl says creatine could aid athletic bursts of one to three seconds but probably not with overall sports performance.

‘If I was summarizing it for a family, I’d say for most athletic activities, the benefits of creatine are really doubtful,’ she says. ‘There may be some benefit for really explosive, short activities. The classic would example be a weightlifter who does a single maximum lift, then there’s probably a performance benefit for that … (but) probably not even repetitive activities like that.

‘There’s not a benefit for certainly any sport where there’s an endurance component of it.’

So for baseball, for example, Carr says, creatine might help you with a single swing or single pitch, but not a series of swings or pitches.

‘PES use does not produce significant gains over those seen with the onset of puberty and adherence to an appropriate nutrition and training program,’ the AAP says in its most recent policy statement on performance-enhancing substances, which Carl says is reviewed every four years.

Coach Steve: When can teenagers start lifting weights? What about a personal coach?

Protein bars, powders and shakes: ‘Totally unnecessary’ for most kids

Two in five parents say their teenager consumed protein supplements over a one-year period, according to a 2024 University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. 

Teens think they are taking them to build muscle, but the AAP says there’s no performance benefit to protein supplement if a diet provides adequate protein. 

‘Protein supplementation is for most children totally unnecessary because they get enough protein in the diet,’ Carl says. ‘Even kids who are lifting.’

If an athlete is a vegan or has other has dietary restrictions, Carl might have them see a registered dietician to determine how much protein and nutrients their body needs.

The AAP recommends that children 4 years and older and adolescents get 10-30% of their daily calories from protein. 

Generally, Carl says, adolescents should take in 0.5 grams of protein per pound pound of body weight per day. Those needs may be higher for athletes engaged in intense activity or resistance training. 

‘Getting adequate protein through the diet is best, especially given the issue of possible contamination,’ Carl says. ‘One other thing that is an important issue with all of these supplements is that supplements aren’t regulated the way that drugs are, so you don’t have to pull a supplement from the market until it causes harm. (With) medications, you have to prove that it’s safe first.’

Caffeine and energy drinks: ‘The risk of taking too much’

The amount of caffeine in food (soft drinks are allowed a maximum of 71 milligrams of caffeine per 12 ounces) is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Caffeine in energy drinks and other dietary supplements isn’t. 

‘Most children take caffeine, whether or not they’re doing it as a supplement, so it’s not that we think kids shouldn’t have any caffeine,’ Carl says, ‘but  some of the energy drinks that have really high doses, there’s been emergency room visits over taking too much of it.’

AAP research connects significant toxicity with the ingestion of multiple energy drink. The AAP doesn’t recommend kids and adolescents drink them at all. 

The AAP has guidelines about safe caffeine use. According to its PES statement, 1 to 3 milligrams per kilogram has been shown to have performance-enhancing effects, particularly in endurance activity, strength of knee extensors and improvements in time to exhaustion studies. 

So, for example, Carl says a child weighing 40 kilograms (or 88 pounds) would take 120 milligrams.

‘Caffeine does have performance benefits, and it’s safer than things like, certainly anabolic steroids and some of the more notorious agents,’ Carl says. ‘I think in specific circumstances, there may be a benefit to taking caffeine, but there’s also the risk of taking too much of it.’

Some potential adverse effects of caffeine overdose include cardiac arrhythmias (premature ventricular contractions), increased blood pressure, headaches, irritability, sleep disruption, tremor and gastric irritation and increased core body temperature with exertion in hot environments.

The FDA issued a warning in 2018 about supplements consisting of pure or highly concentrated caffeine in powder or liquid form.

‘It is very difficult to tell the difference between what is a safe amount and what may be a toxic or even lethal amount of this bulk product,’ the FDA said in the statement. ‘Caffeine is a powerful stimulant and very small amounts of pure or highly concentrated caffeine may have serious effects and could even be deadly.’

If you have read Richard Ben Cramer’s biography about Joe DiMaggio (‘The Hero’s Life’), you know the baseball legend used to drink many cups of coffee before games to get a boost.

According to FDA calculations, DiMaggio would have had to go on a 28-cup binge to equal the same amount of caffeine in one teaspoon of pure powdered caffeine.

Coach Steve: What are the keys for young baseball players to realize their potential?

Guidelines for adolescent weight gain

According to its statement on weight control practices in young athletes, the AAP recommends athletes who want to gain weight and add lean muscle mass do so gradually, and without supplements:

For Boys: Up to a half-pound or pound per week.
For girls: up to one-quarter to three-quarters of pound per week.
If you’re maintaining body weight while adhering to the protein guidelines above, consume an extra 300 to 500 calories above your baseline intake, an extra 14 grams of protein, strength train and get adequate sleep.

The AAP doesn’t necessarily use a maximum weight recommendation for height. Carl says Body Mass Index measurements, which have traditionally been used, are not as helpful for athletes with higher lean body mass.

‘BMI classify individuals as obese even if they have low body fat (and) more muscle mass,’ she says. ‘We tend to think in terms of recommendations of how to gain muscle mass.’

The problem with supplements and the next level

About 10 years ago, as The New York Times reported, the New York State attorney general accused four major retailers of selling fraudulent and potentially dangerous herbal supplements.

‘Sometimes that’s an issue for things like allergies – if you’re allergic to garlic and there’s garlic power or something like that – but some things they have steroid derivatives in them that could really be harmful,’ Carl says of dietary supplements.

We routinely hear from professional athletes who say they didn’t knowingly take a substance banned by their league for which they tested positive. Our children are eventually going to be held accountable, too.

‘At the college and professional level, they will recommend athletes not take any kind of supplements unless they have cleared it with the athletic trainers or coaching staff because sometimes there’s things that shouldn’t be in there,’ Carl says.

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Indiana Fever have officially put the WNBA on notice.

Caitlin Clark led the Fever to a dominant 93-58 win over the Chicago Sky in the WNBA’s opening weekend with a triple-double. Clark finished with 20 points, shooting 6-of-13 from the field, 4-of-8 from three and 4-of-4 from the free throw line at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. She also recorded 10 rebounds, 10 assists, four blocks and two steals.

Despite the monster box score, Clark says she’s not satisfied with their performance. 

‘We put up 93 points and won by 30, but I felt like we could still have been a lot better, so we go back to work,” Clark said following the win over the Sky and rival Angel Reese. 

Reese led the Sky is scoring with 12 points and recorded a double-double with 17 rebounds, but Chicago wasn’t able to get much going offensively. Only two players, Reese and Ariel Atkins, reached double-digits. The team collectively shot 29.1% from the field, 22.2% from three and was outscored 48-26 in the paint. 

USA TODAY Sports recapped the rout. Check out highlights from the matchup:

LIBERTY VS. ACES HIGHLIGHTS: Stewart, Cloud star as New York wins WNBA opener

Caitlin Clark records triple-double

Last year, Clark became the first rookie in the WNBA’s 28-year history to record a triple-double in July. She notched her second Sept. 4. It only took her one game in the 2025 WNBA season to record her third.

Caitlin Clark recorded a triple-double in the Fever’s win over the Sky on Friday, finishing opening night with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, in addition to four blocks and two steals. It marked the third triple-double of Clark’s career, tied for the third-most all time. It also marks the most triple-doubles achieved through the first 41 games of a WNBA player’s career.

DeWanna Bonner moves up on WNBA’s all-time scoring list

DeWanna Bonner, one of the Fever’s newest acquisitions, made history of her own on Friday.

She scored seven points in her debut in Indiana, which was enough for her to move up the WNBA’s all-time scoring list. Bonner passed Tina Thompson with a free throw in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter and she enthusiastically raised her hands in celebration as the crowd applauded.

Here’s a look at the WNBA’s all-time career scoring leaders:

Diana Taurasi: 10,646
Tina Charles: 7,696
DeWanna Bonner: 7,489
*Tina Thompson 7,488
*Tamika Catchings: 7,380
Candice Dupree: 6,895
Cappie Pondexter: 6,811
*Sue Bird: 6,803
Candace Parker: 6,574
Nneka Ogwumike: 6,502

bold denotes active players

*asterisk notes Hall of Famers

Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers in the building

The Indiana Pacers are in the building to support the Fever on opening night. Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and other teammates were spotted watching the game from a suite. The Pacers didn’t have to travel far. They share the same arena with the Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Pacers tip off Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Knicks on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York. 

End of 3Q: Fever 65, Sky 45

The Fever have busted this game wide open and have a 20-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, marking Indiana’s largest of the game. Caitlin Clark is on triple-double watch with 14 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, in addition to four blocks and one steal. Aliyah Boston added 17 pints and 11 rebounds, while Natahsha Howard has 15. The Sky have struggled to find any offense. Angel Reese is the only Sky player in double-digits with 10 points. She also has 15 rebounds, marking her first double-double of the season.

Caitlin Clark called for Flagrant foul on Angel Reese

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese had to be separated after Clark committed a hard foul, which was upgraded to a Flagrant 1. With the Fever leading 56-42 with 4:38 remaining in the third quarter, Clark intentionally fouled Reese on the arm and shoved her as the Chicago star went for a layup. 

After being fouled, Reese hopped of the ground and attempted to approach Clark before Fever’s Aliyah Boston cut her off, pushed her and got in between the two. Reese and Boston were both called for technical fouls that offset. 

The foul came after Clark appeared to be frustrated on a non-call on Reese the prior play after Reese appeared to push Natasha Howard while attempting to rebound the ball. 

Clark, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in 2024, and Reese, who was taken with the No. 7 pick by the Chicago Sky, have been pitted against each other throughout their career and their rivalry has captivated the nation.

The rivalry dates back to their collegiate days at Iowa and LSU, respectively, and it reached a boiling point during the closing moment of LSU’s 102-85 national championship win over Iowa, when Reese directed the John Cena ‘you can’t see me’ taunt toward Clark, the same taunt Clark used toward opponents multiple times. The taunt sparked national discourse that has followed the two superstars into the WNBA.

Caitlin Clark shows off new muscles

This offseason provided Clark some much-needed rest. Clark opted not to play competitive basketball this offseason, bypassing playing overseas or in the inaugural season of Unrivaled. She hit the gym and weight room to develop her game.

The results have been on display. Clark significantly bulked up and her new muscles became a topic of conversation across social media, especially during the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament in March.

‘I think it’s funny,’ Clark told USA TODAY about the commentary surrounding her biceps. ‘People see one photo and kind of run with it. But I appreciate it. I worked really hard so at least they noticed.’

Clark found herself on the receiving end of a lot of physicality in her rookie season, which opponents used as a means to slow her down and knock her off balance. But Clark’s added strength and muscle mass should help her push off pesky and handsy defenders.

Read Cydney Henderson’s full story on how Clark improved her game for Year 2 here.

Halftime: Fever 45, Sky 32

Caitlin Clark ended the first half with a bang. She knocked down a 25-foot three pointer to give the Fever a 13-point lead heading into halftime, which marks Indiana’s largest of the game. Clark is up to 12 points, shooting 3-of-9 from the field and 2-of-5 from three, in addition to four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal. Natasha Howard is also in double digits with 10 points and three rebounds.

Chicago is only shooting 28.9% from the field and 25% from three through the first two quarters and is being outscored 22-12 in the paint. Angel Reese and Rebecca Allen each have seven points, a team-high. Reese is one rebound away from her first double-double of the season with nine rebounds.

Angel Reese hits three, fourth of her career

Caitlin Clark isn’t the only one scoring from deep. Angel Reese knocked down a shot from beyond the arch with 8:23 remaining in the second quarter to bring Chicago within three points of the Fever, 23-26. It marked only the fourth three of her WNBA career. Reese made three three-point shots on 16 attempts all of last season.

End of Q1: Fever 22, Sky 17

The Fever have a slight 22-17 lead over the Sky heading into the second quarter. Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell has a game-high nine points, while Natasha Howard added eight points. Caitlin Clark has five points, shooting 1-of-3 from the field and 1-of-2 from three.

Sky superstar Angel Reese, who led the league in double-doubles her rookie year, is already up to five rebounds after the first quarter, in addition to four points. Ariel Atkins also has four points for Chicago.

How to watch Fever vs. Sky: TV, stream

Time: 9 a.m. ET
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: ABC
Stream:  ESPN+, Disney+

Caitlin Clark hits deep three

Caitlin Clark is doing what Clark does best. She hit a deep three in the opening minutes to give the Fever a 7-4 lead over the Sky with 8:15 remaining in the first quarter. The shot is reminiscent of the signature three Clark hit to break the NCAA’s all-time scoring record in women’s or men’s basketball while at Iowa in February 2024.

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

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami return to action against in-state rival Orlando City Sunday night.

Messi is healthy and expected to play, but the official word of his availability will come when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup about an hour before the match begins.

The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET in Chase Stadium, and will begin a Sunday Night Soccer doubleheader to cap MLS Rivalry Week – Los Angeles FC and L.A. Galaxy will play in the second match at 9 p.m. ET.

Inter Miami has won just one match in its last six contests across all competitions, so expect Messi and his former FC Barcelona teammates to lead the way for a much-needed victory.

Inter Miami enters the match ranked fifth in the MLS Eastern Conference with 22 points behind Philadelphia Union (29 points), FC Cincinnati (29 points), Columbus Crew (27 points) and Nashville (24 points). Orlando City is ranked seventh behind New York City FC, although both clubs have 21 points.  

Inter Miami has four MLS regular-season matches remaining, while Messi is expected to join Argentina for two World Cup qualifying matches in early June, before the Club World Cup begins on June 14.

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Orlando City match on TV, live stream?

The match is available on the Apple TV+ channel, and MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

What time is Inter Miami vs. Orlando City match?

The match begins at 7 p.m. ET (8 p.m. in Argentina).

Is Messi playing vs. Orlando City? Inter Miami lineup today

Messi’s status will be confirmed when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup an hour before the match begins.

Is Luis Suarez playing tonight vs. Orlando City?

Suarez is also expected to play after missing the last two Inter Miami matches due to personal reasons.

Inter Miami vs. Orlando City prediction

Inter Miami 2, Orlando City 1: Messi scores a goal and has an assist in a 2-1 victory for Inter Miami against Orlando City. — Safid Deen, Lionel Messi reporter.

Inter Miami vs. Orlando City betting odds

Inter Miami enters the match as the favorite (-130), while a draw (+290) has slightly lower odds than a win by Orlando City (+300), according to BETMGM.

Messi to join Argentina before Club World Cup

Messi has been called up by the defending World Cup champions for qualifying matches for the 2026 tournament. Argentina will visit Chile on June 5, and host Colombia on June 10.

Messi, Inter Miami upcoming schedule

May 24: Philadelphia Union vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET
May 28: Inter Miami vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET
May 31: Inter Miami vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m. ET

Messi, Inter Miami schedule for Club World Cup

June 14: Inter Miami vs. Al Alhy, 8 p.m. ET (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami)
June 19: Inter Miami vs FC Porto, 3 p.m. ET (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta)
June 23: Inter Miami vs. Palmerias, 9 p.m. ET (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

By the end of Sunday – weather permitting of course – the NCAA softball tournament field will have been reduced from 64 teams to 16.

The 16 teams that made it through the first two days unscathed will have to win just one more time to advance to next weekend’s super regionals.

No. 1 Texas A&M was stunned by Liberty 8-5 on Saturday. The Aggies will have to beat Liberty twice on Sunday to advance to the super regional.

No. 10 seed LSU was eliminated with an 8-7 loss to Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday night.

Here’s the schedule for Day 3 of the tournament.

NCAA softball tournament schedule today

College Station

Game 6: No. 1 Texas A&M vs. Liberty | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 1 Texas A&M vs. Liberty| 6:30 p.m. | TV TBD

Watch NCAA softball games on Fubo (free trial)

Norman

Game 6: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. California| 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 2 Oklahoma vs. California| 4:30 p.m. | TV TBD

Gainesville

Game 6: No. 3 Florida vs. Mercer | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 3 Florida vs. Mercer | 3:30 p.m. | TV TBD

Fayetteville

Game 6: No. 4 Arkansas vs. Oklahoma State | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 7 (if necessary): TBD vs. TBD | 6:30 p.m. | TV TBD

Watch NCAA softball games on ESPN+

Tallahassee

Game 6: No. 5 Florida State vs. Auburn | 12 p.m. | ACCN
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 5 Florida State vs. Auburn | 2:30 p.m. | TV TBD

Austin

Game 6: No. 6 Texas vs. UCF | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 6 Texas vs. UCF | 3:30 p.m. | TV TBD

Knoxville

Game 6: No. 7 Tennessee vs. Ohio St. | 12 p.m. | ESPN2
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 7 Tennessee vs. Ohio St. | 2:30 p.m. | TV TBD

Columbia

Game 6: No. 8 South Carolina vs. North Florida | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 8 South Carolina vs. North Florida | 3:30 p.m. | TV TBD

Los Angeles

Game 6: No. 9 UCLA vs. UC Santa Barbara | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 9 UCLA vs. UC Santa Barbara | 10 p.m. | TV TBD

Baton Rouge

Game 6: Nebraska vs. Southeastern Louisiana | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 7 (if necessary): Nebraska vs. Southeastern Louisiana | 5:30 p.m. | TV TBD

Clemson

Game 6: No. 11 Clemson vs. Kentucky | 1 p.m. | SECN
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 11 Clemson vs. Kentucky | 3:30 p.m. | TV TBD

Lubbock

Game 6: No. 12 Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 12 Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State | 5:30 p.m. | TV TBD

Tucson

Game 6: No. 13 Arizona vs. Ole Miss | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 13 Arizona vs. Ole Miss | 10 p.m. | TV TBD

Durham

Game 6: No. 14 Duke vs. Georgia | 2:30 p.m. | ACCN
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 14 Duke vs. Georgia | 5 p.m. | TV TBD

Tuscaloosa

Game 6: No. 15 Alabama vs. Virginia Tech | 2 p.m. | ESPN2
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 15 Alabama vs. Virginia Tech | 4:30 p.m. | TV TBD

Eugene

Game 6: No. 16 Oregon vs. Stanford | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Game 7 (if necessary): No. 16 Oregon vs. Stanford | 9 p.m. | TV TBD

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

President Donald Trump’s nominees consistently engage with Democrats who challenge them in increasingly viral hearing moments that analysts say are not intended as gifts to the media, but red meat for their base.

The media understands Democrats have little power on a Republican-dominated Capitol Hill, according to Bill D’Agostino, senior analyst for the Media Research Center.

‘If you were to watch any given night on CNN or MSNBC evening shows, you’ll find a couple of panel discussion segments that are basically just Democratic strategists and the host talking shop,’ he told Fox News Digital in a Thursday interview.

‘The discussion has focused almost entirely on how can Democrats show their voters that they’re trying to fight this, that they’re trying to make a difference, that they’re resisting the Trump administration.’

Partisan politics has come to a point, D’Agostino suggested, where constituents send Democrats to Washington to stop Trump at every turn, regardless of ideological alignment or differences.

‘Obviously, as the minority party, there’s not much action they can actually offer. So instead, their political futures basically rest on how hard they’re trying to stop Trump.’

One of the most contentious exchanges occurred during FBI Director Kash Patel’s January confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., dug into granular language used by Patel after the Capitol riot in regard to a song released by inmates that featured Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Patel told Schiff he stood by prior testimony that he had had nothing to do with the recording of the song, while the Burbank Democrat grilled him over a comment to former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon about ‘what we thought would be cool… captur[ing] audio’ for the song.

Schiff asked why he said that, and Patel incredulously shot back ‘that’s why it says, ‘we’ [as opposed to I] as you highlighted.’ Patel denied participating in the digitizing of the song.

The exchange was compared to former President Bill Clinton’s grammatical comments about the word ‘is’ during the Monica Lewinsky affair.

During Attorney General Pam Bondi’s confirmation, Schiff was at the fore again, demanding she disclose whether she might prosecute former special counsel Jack Smith over his Trump probe. Bondi repeatedly said she wouldn’t answer hypothetical, and dinged Schiff in response for focusing on Smith while his own California is rife with violent crime.

Bondi also snapped back at Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., after a grilling on the Fourteenth Amendment and citizenship, saying, ‘I’m not here to do your homework and study for you.’

During Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s hearing, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., delved into Hegseth’s multiple marriages and allegations of untoward behavior.

Kaine said Hegseth had ‘casually cheated’ on a former wife shortly after his daughter Gwendolyn was born. Hegseth countered that the situation had been investigated and that Kaine’s claims were ‘false charges.’

‘You’ve admitted that you had sex at that hotel in October 2017. You said it was consensual, isn’t that correct?’ Kaine went on, probing further.

Hegseth also made headlines when he interrupted Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., mid-sentence as she criticized the revolving door among military generals, Pentagon chiefs, and defense contractors.

‘I’m not a general, senator,’ he said, prompting laughter in the gallery.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also had several similar moments, including when Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., opened his remarks by speaking about the measles and telling the nominee bluntly, ‘You frighten people.’

Kennedy also rejected a line of questioning from Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., claiming that he had compared the Atlanta-based CDC’s work to Nazi death camps.

Outbursts and grilling continued in recent oversight hearings, including this past week when Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., got into a tiff with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem about Salvadoran deportee Kilmar Garcia. At one point, Swalwell informed Noem he has a ‘bull—t detector.’

Mark Bednar, a former top aide to ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was one of many ‘sherpas’ tasked with guiding nominees through the confirmation process, including meetings with senators.

Bednar assisted EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin through his process, which, by comparison to others, was mild.

Zeldin’s hearing actually included some bipartisan joking – like when Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., riffed that Zeldin’s cell phone rang unexpectedly because ‘the fossil fuel industry’ was calling him after a line of questioning on the matter.

Bednar recounted a loud protester in the hall who remained for some time, offering conjecture that the disruptive woman hadn’t yet crossed any legal lines like protesters actually inside hearing rooms like during Kennedy’s confirmation.

But Bednar said that many of the other nominees faced Democrats who would rather make a show than ‘be diplomatic and deliberative over policy.’

‘I think that is a big indicator to me that the left has no substantive answers for rebuttals to President Trump’s agenda or Republicans’ agenda. And that, to me, is a sign that if you’re a Republican, that that’s encouraging — the public’s on your side, and the far left has been unable to formulate a rational, level-headed response, much less not even be able to articulate one.’

Fox News Digital reached out to other sherpas but did not hear back.

Meanwhile, Bednar said that it has been interesting to watch the hearing disruptions evolve into larger scenes with similarly little substance or long-term gain.

I thought I was very rich and pun intended, that Cory Booker delivered a record-breaking speech that the Democrats were basically just grasping for anything to kind of count as a win, even though it didn’t really amount to anything,’ he said, after the New Jersey Democrat held an unofficial filibuster – as there was no legislation being held up – for more than a day.

That speech, however, precipitated several fundraising emails from the left, Bednar said, which bolstered D’Agostino’s claim about playing to the base.

‘If it’s a session day in D.C., and Republicans are in charge, there’s going to be liberal agitators protesting; as the sky is blue,’ Bednar quipped.

Fox News Digital reached out to Schiff for comment but did not receive a response by press time. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

House lawmakers are being summoned to Capitol Hill late Sunday night as Republicans’ self-imposed deadline to pass President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ looms just days away. 

The House Budget Committee is meeting at 10 p.m. for a vote on advancing the wide-ranging legislation toward a chamber-wide vote later this week.

Initial plans to advance the bill on Friday morning were upended in a mutiny by four members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus – Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., and Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., all joined Democrats in voting against the bill.

The fiscal hawks are opposed to aspects of the legislation’s crackdown on Medicaid, which Republicans have said they are only trimming for waste, fraud, and abuse. But Medicaid work requirements for able-bodied people are not set to kick in until 2029, and conservatives have argued that it was a large window of time for those changes to be undone, among other concerns.

They’re also pushing for a more aggressive effort to repeal green energy tax subsidies passed in the former Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). That push has pitted them against Republican lawmakers whose districts have businesses that have benefited from the tax relief.

Meanwhile House GOP leaders and the White House have held the bill up as the most significant fiscal reform in decades.

Holdouts were expected to negotiate with GOP leaders in Congress and the White House through the weekend.

‘I really need to see something in writing. You know, we’ve talked enough. They know where we are. And you know, before, if it’s just if it’s the same old thing, that we can’t get [a majority], we’re going to have to pretty much stick with what we have, I’ve got a problem,’ Norman told Fox News Digital on Sunday morning

He said he and other critics of the legislation were asked to meet with House GOP leaders at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

Republicans are working to pass Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party controlling both Congress and the White House to pass vast pieces of legislation while completely sidelining the minority – in this case, Democrats.

It does so by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, lining up with the House’s own simple majority. The legislation must adhere to a specific set of rules, however, including only items related to federal spending, tax, and the national debt.

Both the House and Senate are dealing with razor-thin margins. That extends to the House Budget Committee as well, where Republicans can only lose two of their own to still advance the legislation.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was confident that Republicans could overcome their differences and stick to their timeline during an appearance on Fox News Sunday.

‘The plan is to move it to the Rules Committee by midweek, and to the House floor by the end of the week, as we meet our initial, our original Memorial Day deadline,’ Johnson said.

Johnson said Republicans also ‘have got to compromise’ on Medicaid work requirements, adding he was in contact with states ‘to make sure what the earliest possible date is.’

‘This is the biggest spending reduction in three decades, maybe longer,’ Johnson said.

Norman signaled that significant compromise was going to have to be made on leaders’ parts.

‘Let’s say they want it to kick in, in a year or six months. It ought to be now, but we’ll look at that. We’re not inflexible,’ he said. ‘But the main thing I want to relay, this isn’t the end-all-catch-all-be-all. Nobody would disagree that the tax cuts are good policy, and nobody would disagree with President Trump’s wanting to phase out Green New Deal scam credits. Anyone we want to do it on day one. So we’re carrying out his policies.’

Meanwhile Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, a close ally of Roy’s, took to X in support of the bill after it failed Friday.

‘Critics have attacked the House’s One Big Beautiful reconciliation bill on fiscal grounds, but I think they are profoundly wrong. It is truly historic,’ Vought said. ‘The bill satisfies the very red-line test that House fiscal hawks laid out a few weeks ago that stated that the cost of any tax cut could be paid for with $2.5 trillion in assumed economic growth, but the rest had to be covered with savings from reform.’

Trump blasted the people holding up the legislation as grandstanders in a Truth Social post Friday.

Those rebels and their allies, however, have argued that they are only pushing to fully enact Trump’s agenda.

‘He campaigned on cutting the Green New Deal. But it’s really a scam…. But this bill to postpone phase-out for seven years, it’s just money we don’t have,’ Norman said.

Economic Policy Innovation Center founder Paul Winfree wrote on X Saturday, ‘Several of the Members of Congress negotiating on the OBBB this weekend are trying to make it even better. In fact, there is a significant group that has been fighting all along to make sure that [Trump] gets the biggest win possible.’

Moving ahead with Sunday night’s vote is a sign of confidence by House GOP leaders, but it’s not yet clear how it will play out. In addition to the Medicaid and IRA differences, Republicans must also reconcile current disagreements with blue state GOP lawmakers over State and Local tax (SALT) deduction caps. 

The legislation raised the current $10,000 cap to $30,000, but a handful of blue state Republicans rejected the compromise as insufficient.

Meanwhile, conservatives in redder districts are demanding deeper pay cuts if the SALT deduction cap was raised.

SALT Caucus member Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., suggested raising taxes on the highest earners to offset the cost – it would likely be an uphill battle to enact, though some conservatives have also signaled openness to the idea.

‘The One Big Beautiful Bill has stalled—and it needs wind in its sails. Allowing the top tax rate to expire—returning from 37% to 39.6% for individuals earning over $609,350 and married couples earning over $731,200—breathes $300 billion of new life into the effort,’ LaLota wrote on X Saturday.

‘It’s a fiscally responsible move that reflects the priorities of the new Republican Party: protect working families, address the deficit, fix the unfair SALT cap, and safeguard programs like Medicaid and SNAP—without raising taxes on the middle class.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS