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The Trump administration on Monday asked the Supreme Court to immediately intervene and allow them to proceed with plans to slash the size of the federal workforce, arguing in an emergency appeal that the district court’s decision had inflicted ‘ongoing and severe harm’ on the executive branch.

In its emergency appeal to the high court, U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that the lower court ruling is ‘flawed,’ and hinges on an ‘indefensible premise,’ which is that the executive brach needs Congressional authorization to make personnel decisions, such as the Reductions in Force, or RIFs.

The district court order in question had barred the Trump administration from carrying out its large-scale, planned reductions in force across 21 federal agencies, and prevented the Trump administration from taking other, related actions – such as placing federal employees at those agencies on leave, or proceeding with job cuts that had already been in motion under previous RIFs. 

Sauer argued to the Supreme Court Monday that the lower court ruling ‘interferes with the executive branch’s internal operations and unquestioned legal authority to plan and carry out RIFs, and does so on a government-wide scale.’

‘More concretely, the injunction has brought to a halt numerous in-progress RIFs at more than a dozen federal agencies, sowing confusion about what RIF-related steps agencies may take and compelling the government to retain – at taxpayer expense – thousands of employees whose continuance in federal service the agencies deem not to be in the government and public interest,’ Sauer said. 

The request to the high court comes just days after a split panel for the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco refused on Friday to freeze the lower court order that blocked Trump from fully enforcing its RIFs. 

In their decision, judges for the 9th Circuit wrote that the administration’s moves were ‘unprecedented,’ and noted: ‘The executive order at issue here far exceeds the president’s supervisory powers under the Constitution.’

The emergency appeal marks the 18th such appeal that lawyers for the Trump administration have submitted to the Supreme Court since Trump was sworn in to his second White House term.

It comes as the administration and federal judges have sparred in court over a number of executive orders and actions from the president, teeing up a high-stakes clash over the powers of the judiciary and the executive branch. 

The news comes after Elon Musk departed his official post heading up the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which had been behind many of the widespread RIFs across federal agencies. 

His last official day was Friday, as Fox News reported. 

To date, however, there are no signs that the department will be winding down in his absence, and Musk himself said Friday that his departure does not mark the end of DOGE ‘but rather, the beginning.’ 

Fox News’ Diana Stancy contributed to this report.

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On June 2, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senator John Fetterman and his GOP counterpart Dave McCormick took part in a Fox News town hall event in a replica of the U.S. Senate chamber; you could tell it wasn’t the real Senate because the conversation was shockingly respectful, substantive and promising. 

With a light touch, moderator Shannon Bream’s questions raised an array of issues on which not only do Fetterman and McCormick more or less agree, but their shared positions are at the commonsense core of today’s American voter. 

On the question of recent antisemitic attacks, including a Molotov cocktail attack on a Jewish group in Boulder on Sunday, both senators not only condemned such violence but acknowledged its roots in the dangerous anti-Israel rhetoric on college campuses. 

As Fetterman put it regarding these attacks, ‘You know, the kinds of, the rank antisemitism, it’s out of control, and for me and as my friend just pointed out, this is just rampant across all the universities…’ 

Both senators made plain their solid support for Israel, something Fetterman was not shy about pointing to as a cause of the recent attacks leveled against his competence.  

Both senators agreed on forcefully stopping Iran’s nuclear program, securing the border and sanctioning Russia to firm up President Donald Trump’s hand in negotiating against Russian President Vladimir Putin. They also both gave a thumbs up to the sale of US Steel, celebrated by Trump in the Keystone State last week. 

Long story short, there was a lot of agreement on display, and while it might not be as sexy as two combatants screaming at each other, it might still be what the American people actually want. 

McCormick made the very key point that ‘there is a lot of overlap’ between the people who voted for him and Fetterman. Both men have strong ties to the steel industry, and both spoke about the need to lift up long-forgotten industrial towns. 

It is not an accident that Pennsylvania has been a swing state for as long as that term has existed, with two world-famous cities, major industry, major farming and everything in between. It is a cross-section of America. Centrisism comes naturally in the commonwealth. 

The two current senators harken back to Pennsylvania figures like Gov. Bob Casey Sr. one of the last loudly pro-life Democrats and Sen. Arlen Specter, who often tortured fellow Republicans before eventually leaving the party. 

For now, it has only been Fetterman angering members of his own party by aligning with some positions seen as pro-Trump, McCormick has not had occasion to disagree with Trump policies, but then again, it’s not McCormick’s party in the political wilderness. 

Fetterman has been a unique voice in the Democratic caucus urging calm, suggesting that freaking out like a teenage girl at a 1950s Elvis concert every time Trump opens his mouth isn’t working. 

Meanwhile, Democrats have been trying to spread outrage around the media every time Trump opens his mouth about anything. 

Sadly, some of this leftist outrage has been directed at Fetterman himself in supposed bombshell reports from anonymous sources about his unfitness for office. On this, the less said, the better. Fetterman’s appearance itself made it self-evident the claims are malicious smears that should never be spoken of again. 

It may be lonely in the center left for Fetterman right now, but I suspect it won’t be for long. Recent polling puts the favorability of the Democratic Party at a record-low 19%. If it gets much lower, we will have to add an asterisk and ‘if necessary,’ to references to the 2028 primary. 

The far-left approach, with its oligarchy tours on private jets and old 60s folk songs sung by folks in their 70s, and the constant cursing, none of it is working, it’s all making things worse for the Democrats. 

Progressives understand this. That is why they blame sexism for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat last year, instead of her horrible candidacy and their failed policies, it is exactly why they are terrified not of Trump, but of more moderate Democrats who could kick them out of power in the party. 

For the progressives, continuing the lie that men can become women is more important than winning elections; continuing the lie that Israel is committing genocide is more important than winning elections. 

On issues such as these, the far left will never compromise, because to compromise is already to lose. 

Both parties saw a potential future in the town hall on Monday, two Pennsylvania politicians who both listen to and understand the concerns of working Americans trying to give their kids a better life, and in this political environment, that goes a long, long way. 

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Sen. John Fetterman is comfortable taking a sharp stance against his own party, a point that he reiterated during a forum moderated by Fox News’ Shannon Bream alongside his Republican counterpart, Sen. Dave McCormick.

The Democratic maverick has made a name for himself as willing to buck his party’s marching orders, oftentimes siding with Republicans on thorny policy issues since coming to the Senate two years ago. Indeed, the lawmaker agreed on many issues with his fellow Pennsylvanian McCormick during the roughly half-hour forum. 

Fetterman addressed the repercussions that tend to come from his brand of bipartisanship when discussing his agreement with President Donald Trump’s handling of nuclear talks with Iran or the president’s push for a rare earth minerals agreement with Ukraine.

‘That’s part of the bipartisanship where, you know, it’s getting more and more kind of, punitive to just agree with some of these things in the middle of the party right now,’ he said.

He also called out his own party for his colleagues’ stances on Israel and immigration, and worked in a subtle jab at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s handling of the government funding fight earlier this year.

Fetterman condemned the recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, and noted that parts of his party had ‘lost the argument’ when it came to bucking antisemitism and standing behind Israel.

‘For me, that moral clarity, it’s really firmly on Israel,’ he said. ‘I refuse to allow to try to turn Israel into a pariah state, and that’s right in the middle of that.’

Fetterman also dug in on his support of immigration policies pushed by the GOP.

He said that while he largely did not support Republicans’ efforts to ram Trump’s agenda through Congress, there was common ground to be had with his colleagues across the aisle when it came to putting a dent in the nation’s debt, and injecting more funding into the White House’s priorities at the southern border.

In fact, the only thing he said he supported among the sea of policy changes and spending would be the over $150 billion in the colossal package that would go toward building Trump’s border wall, bolstering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the building of new immigration detention centers and facilities, among others.

‘That’s a mistake that our party made, and that’s the border,’ he said. ‘I absolutely support those kinds of investments to make our border secure as well.’

He contended that Democrats did not handle the border properly when they controlled the White House, and noted the hundreds of thousands of migrants that were able to make their way into the U.S. under the Biden administration’s porous border policies.

‘We can all agree that’s wrong,’ he said. ‘Being very pro-immigration as [a] Democrat, it’s like you’re trying to think two things must be true, and sometimes that’s put me at the odds of my party and my base to assume that I changed my values, and that’s never changed. That’s never changed.’

He also levied subtle criticism of how Schumer, D-N.Y., handled the government funding showdown earlier this year, which saw the Democratic leader ultimately back down at the last minute from his desire to shutter the government over the GOP’s funding plan.

‘I refuse to ever shut our government down,’ Fetterman said. ‘And when we have that opportunity in September to do that, I will still be there, and … I’ll take the beating, because that’s, I think, what defines leadership.’

But Fetterman’s rogue-like tendencies have led to intensified scrutiny in recent weeks for alleged erratic behavior, skipping out on votes and droves of staff leaving his office, criticism that Fetterman has rebuked.

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s editorial board argued in an opinion piece published on Sunday that if the lawmaker couldn’t handle the scrutiny, he should ‘step aside.’ In response, Fetterman couched the criticism as part of a campaign against him for his position on Israel, the border and his dances with bipartisanship.

‘It’s just part of a smear, and it’s just not accurate,’ he said.  

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Russell Wilson spent just one season playing alongside George Pickens, but it was enough for the veteran quarterback to be impressed by the young wide receiver’s skill set.

Wilson spoke glowingly of Pickens when asked about his former teammate in an appearance on the ‘7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony’ podcast.

‘I love George,’ Wilson said. ‘His ability to catch the football is one of a kind. Anything in his vicinity, he’s gonna catch it.’

Wilson wasn’t just complimentary of Pickens’ receiving tool bag, which allowed the young wide-out to post a team-leading 900 receiving yards on 59 catches with four touchdowns during their lone season together with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The veteran quarterback also believes the 24-year-old is driven to be great, even despite on-field antics that, at times, drew ire from coach Mike Tomlin and fans alike.

‘I think that he’s misunderstood outside,’ Wilson said. ‘I think he’s a guy that – he wants to be great, you know? I think, also, too, when it comes to George, I think a big part of him – his ability, where he can take it from not just being great, but to being the world’s best, I think he has that in him.’

Wilson won’t get a chance to help Pickens level up in 2025. The veteran quarterback signed with the New York Giants during the offseason, while Pickens was traded to the Dallas Cowboys after the 2025 NFL Draft.

As such, the duo will be on-field rivals on the two occasions New York and Dallas square off during the 2025 NFL season.

But in all other games, Wilson will be hoping his former top target finds success with the Cowboys.

‘I’m always rooting for guys I played with, just not when we play ’em,’ Wilson said. ‘He’ll do great there. He’ll love it there for sure.’

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Veteran sports writer and ‘College Gameday’ contributor Gene Wojciechowski’s three-decade run at ESPN is officially over, he announced. 

Wojciechowski was technically let go by ESPN during the network’s layoffs in 2023. It could mean this past weekend represented the end of his contract or severance compensation with ESPN.

That, however, did not stop an array of ESPN personalities from offering tributes and thanks for Wojciechowski’s contributions at the network, despite his time on air there ending almost two years ago.

‘Tremendous reporter. Brilliant writer and storyteller. Better man. Unsurpassed as a loyal friend. Legend in the business,’ ESPN ‘College Gameday’ host Rece Davis wrote on X.

‘Appreciate your commitment to the show and the respect you always showed to the people involved in the show,’ Kirk Herbstreit added in his own social media reply to Wojciechowski’s tweet. ‘As loyal and good of a teammate I’ve ever had!’

‘You could do it all and make it look effortless,’ wrote ESPN’s Dan Wetzel, the former Yahoo! national sports columnist.

Wojciechowski is the author or co-author of nine books and joined ESPN back in 1998 after working for the Chicago Tribune, the Dallas Morning News, and the Los Angeles Times. He wrote for the now-defunct ESPN the Magazine and later began writing columns for ESPN.com. His human-interest features and commentary also became a regular part of ‘College Gameday.’ The University of Tennessee graduate currently serves as a professor for the School of Journalism & Media at his alma mater.

ESPN announced previously in April that Lee Corso would be retiring from ‘College Gameday’ after his final headgear pick during Week 1 of the 2025 college football season.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks are awaiting word on the health of ace pitcher Corbin Burnes after he was removed in the fifth inning of Sunday’s game with an elbow issue.

Burnes, who signed a six-year, $210 million free agent contract with the Diamondbacks this offseason, has been a model of consistency since becoming a full-time starter in the majors – making at least 28 starts in each of the past four seasons.

The 2021 National League Cy Young winner had pitched shutout ball through the first four innings on Sunday before giving up a line drive single to CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals with two outs in the fifth.

After the hit, he immediately motioned to the dugout and called for an athletic trainer.

After the game, Burnes said his elbow ‘started to get tight on me’ as he noticed a drop in velocity and a lack of control with his pitches.

He said he had never felt anything like it before, and he tried to ‘shut things down before it got too bad.’

Burnes is scheduled to have an MRI exam on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

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Colorado police responded to a terror attack at a pro-Israel event in Boulder Sunday, leaving multiple people injured. 

It was the latest incident being investigated by federal authorities as domestic terrorism.

The U.S. has seen an increase in antisemitic attacks and violent pro-Palestinian protests amid the war between Israel and Hamas. 

But the incidents of domestic terrorism aren’t limited to antisemitism. Extremists who hold anti-American sentiment have attempted attacks on vehicles, military bases and more. 

Here is a breakdown of the domestic terrorism incidents in the U.S. in 2025: 

Terror in Boulder, Colorado

Boulder, Colorado, Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said his department received reports early Sunday afternoon of a man with a weapon and people being set on fire on Pearl Street. A male suspect with minor injuries was taken into police custody at the scene, Redfearn said.

Suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman is now facing murder, assault and other charges following what the FBI called a ‘targeted terror attack’ in Boulder, Colorado. 

The violence against a pro-Israel group advocating for Hamas to release Israeli hostages left eight people, ages 52 to 88, with injuries, including one in critical condition, according to the FBI. Police responded to the area after receiving reports of a man with a weapon setting people on fire. 

‘Run for Their Lives,’ was the organization hosting the event. The group organizes run and walk events calling for the immediate release of all hostages being held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Soliman was charged with murder in the first degree — deliberation with intent; murder in the first degree — extreme indifference; crimes against at-risk adults/elderly; 1st degree assault — non-family; 1st degree assault — heat of passion; criminal attempt to commit class one and class two felonies; and use of explosives or incendiary devices during felony.

Soliman was also in the United States illegally, Fox News has learned. Soliman is an Egyptian national who came into the country two years ago and overstayed his visa. 

Boulder Police Department confirmed Monday that no victims have died. 

Soliman was booked into the Boulder County, Colorado, jail Sunday evening and remains held on a $10 million bond. 

Shooting outside Capital Jewish Museum in Washington 

On Wednesday, May 21,Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, two staffers of the Embassy of Israel to the U.S. — a couple set to be engaged — were shot and killed as they left the museum’s event focused on finding humanitarian solutions for Gaza. 

Lischinsky was born in Israel and grew up in Germany. His father is Jewish, and his mother is Christian. Milgrim was an American employee of the embassy.

Authorities took Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old man from Chicago, into custody. Upon being taken into custody, Rodriguez began shouting, ‘Free, free Palestine!’ 

The FBI is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime and investigating any ties to terrorism. 

Steven Jensen, the assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington field office, said in a news conference that the federal law enforcement entity is working alongside the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to ‘look into ties to potential terrorism or motivation based on a bias-based crime or a hate crime.’

Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing

On May 17, a bombing took place at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California. The bombing killed the suspect and injured four others.

Authorities identified the perpetrator of the incident as a 26-year-old suspect motivated by a fringe ideology known as ‘pro-mortalism.’ 

‘Pro-mortalism,’ a radical offshoot of anti-natalism, views human reproduction as inherently immoral and embraces death as a moral corrective.

According to federal and local law enforcement, the suspect targeted the American Reproductive Centers facility specifically to destroy human embryos stored on-site.

Surveillance footage and online postings suggest he parked in the rear of the building to remain unnoticed, ingested drugs and then detonated an explosive device — killing himself in the process. 

The FBI has classified the bombing as an act of domestic terrorism, citing the ideological motivation behind the violence. 

Officials have said that it is the first high-profile case linked to the pro-mortalist ideology and are now monitoring it as a potential emerging threat. Authorities have urged families and communities to remain vigilant for signs of ideological extremism, especially among those who may feel disenfranchised. 

Attempted mass shooting at Michigan military base 

In May, a former Michigan Army National Guard member, Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19, was arrested for allegedly planning a mass shooting near the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) center at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan. 

Said planned to carry out the attack on behalf of ISIS. 

Said allegedly ‘launched his drone in support of the attack plan’ and told an undercover FBI agent in the lead-up to the foiled plot he recommended that ‘everyone have about seven magazines because you don’t want to be in there and run out of ammo,’ according to officials. 

Said is now facing charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years per count if convicted. 

The FBI disrupted the attempted attack, with FBI Director Kash Patel telling Fox News Digital that any individual targeting the U.S. military or conspiring with foreign terrorist organizations will be ‘prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.’ 

‘Let this be a warning: Anyone who targets our military or conspires with foreign terrorist organizations will be found, stopped and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,’ Patel told Fox News Digital. ‘I commend the men and women of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners for their continued dedication to protecting the American people.’

Tesla attacks 

Since January, there have been a number of instances of vandalism, arson and targeted shootings against Tesla vehicles, dealerships, and charging stations across the nation. 

Tesla vehicles and dealerships have been targeted nationwide amid Elon Musk’s involvement with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been focused on slashing wasteful spending and fraud within the federal government. Musk is the co-founder and CEO of Tesla. 

The FBI launched a task force to crack down on violent Tesla attacks. 

The FBI’s task force was created in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and will coordinate investigative activity.

A threat tag has been created at the FBI to streamline reports and a command post at FBI headquarters has been created. It consists of a joint FBI/ATF task force to mitigate that threat stream. 

The FBI is treating the attacks as ‘domestic terrorism.’ Attorney General Pam Bondi called the attacks on Tesla ‘domestic terrorism,’ and the Department of Justice announced charges against suspects in Tesla arson cases. 

Musk spoke out against the ‘deranged’ attacks, suggesting that ‘there’s some kind of mental illness thing going on here, because this doesn’t make any sense.’ The billionaire even alluded to ‘larger forces’ potentially behind the attacks that have sprung up across the nation.

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Let Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge hog all the headlines and national TV slots. While they were going one-on-one in L.A., both were upstaged by a catcher in the Pacific Northwest.

Oh, Cal Raleigh won’t match those greats sublime overall offensive numbers soon. Yet Raleigh has now taken the major league lead by homering for the third consecutive game, his 23rd homer putting the Mariners in position to salvage a series win against Minnesota.

And he’s helping the Mariners tread water both in the American League West and USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings.

With the season just past the one-third mark, Raleigh is on pace to threaten Salvador Perez’s record for home runs by a primary catcher – 48, set in 2021. Raleigh was the first catcher to hit 20 home runs before the end of May. 

Raleigh leads Seattle in every major offensive category save batting average, where his .264 average is second to J.P. Crawford’s .272. His 1.016 OPS trails only those Dodger-Yankee megastars – Judge, Freddie Freeman and Ohtani.

All the more important given the rail-thin margin the offensively-challenged Mariners operate. They won two games by walk-off this weekend and cling to a half-game lead over Houston in the West – thanks largely to their most unlikely MVP candidate.

A look at our updated rankings:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (-)

If you’re scoring at home, that’s 15 pitchers now on the injured list.

2. Detroit Tigers (+1)

That’s a six-game lead in an AL Central very much looking like Detroit and Everybody Else.

3. New York Mets (+1)

Francisco Lindor clubs 261st home run, moves past Derek Jeter into third for homers by a shortstop.

4. Chicago Cubs (+1)

Good vibes moderately dimmed by Kyle Tucker’s jammed ring finger.

5. Philadelphia Phillies (-3)

Lose four of five after Bryce Harper sidelined following hit-by-pitch.

6. New York Yankees (-)

Max Fried finally throws a clunker, in his hometown.

7. San Diego Padres (+1)

Manny Machado (.308 average, .861 OPS) quietly having All-Star caliber season.

8. San Francisco Giants (-1)

In losing four of five, produce just seven runs for hard-luck pitchers.

9. St. Louis Cardinals (-)

Sonny Gray’s racked up six wins, nearly halfway to career-best 14.

10. Cleveland Guardians (-)

Nolan Jones starting to put a grim 14-for-92 (.152) start behind him.

11. Seattle Mariners (-)

Vaunted infield prospect Cole Young gets the call – and gets walk-off RBI in debut.

12. Houston Astros (+2)

Yordan Alvarez was nearly back – until he wasn’t.

13. Minnesota Twins (-1)

Matt Wallner hits a home run on his first swing since April 15.

14. Milwaukee Brewers (+5)

They’ve won seven in a row as starting pitchers go 15 games without giving up more than three runs.

15. Toronto Blue Jays (+8)

Addison Barger, who has homered in three consecutive games, may have finally arrived.

16. Kansas City Royals (-3)

They’ve lost five of seven against Tigers.

17. Tampa Bay Rays (-2)

No room for the moment for electric rookie Chandler Simpson, sent back to Class AAA.

18. Texas Rangers (+2)

Marcus Semien is 8 for 14 (.571) with a 1.468 OPS batting eighth – and should soon earn a promotion.

19. Cincinnati Reds (-2)

Alexis Díaz went from All-Star to traded as a minor leaguer in less than two years.

20. Boston Red Sox (-)

Getting a little ridiculous we haven’t seen Roman Anthony at Fenway yet.

21. Atlanta Braves (-3)

Go figure: They’ve lost eight of 11 since Spencer Strider returned, followed by Ronald Acuña Jr.

22. Arizona Diamondbacks (-6)

Grim stuff: Snap a four-game losing streak but $215 million man Corbin Burnes exits with elbow discomfort.

23. Washington Nationals (-1)

Wild road trip: Score seven runs in 10th inning and 10 runs in first inning.

24. Los Angeles Angels (+1)

Mike Trout’s return can’t stop slide of seven losses in eight games.

25. Miami Marlins (+1)

Cold game: Ronny Simon commits three errors, cries in dugout, gets designated for assignment.

26. Baltimore Orioles (+2)

Gotta start somewhere: First sweep comes against White Sox.

27. Athletics (-3)

Sixteen losses in 17 games, including 0-6 road trip that makes a Yolo County return look appealing.

28. Pittsburgh Pirates (-)

Andrew McCutchen’s 240th homer as a Pirate ties him with Roberto Clemente.

29. Chicago White Sox (-)

Top prospect Kyle Teel knocking on door with .885 OPS at Class AAA.

30. Colorado Rockies (-)

They’re 9-50. Nine and fifty. Nueve y cincuenta

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For the seventh consecutive season, the NBA will have a different champion than the previous season. A team hasn’t repeated since Golden State won in 2017 and 2018.

For the sixth consecutive season, the NBA has does not even have a repeat finalist from the Eastern or Western conferences.

It’s the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, and the series starts with Game 1 on Thursday in Oklahoma City (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The Thunder can in their first championship since 1979 when the franchise was the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Pacers can win their first title since joining the NBA from the ABA in 1976.

It’s a nod to small-market success. Or mid-market success. But definitely not your big markets or glamour markets that have been a part of most NBA Finals over the past two decades. One has to go back to the 2007 and the San Antonio-Cleveland series with comparable market sizes in the Finals.

And both teams are under the luxury tax.

Let’s look at matchups and who has the edge:

Thunder-Pacers series breakdown: Who has the edge?

Backcourt: Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton

This is a fantastic matchup of points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his first MVP this season, and Haliburton is two-time All-Star who has been sensational in the playoffs. They are different point guards. Gilgeous-Alexander is score-first who can pass, averaging 29.8 points, 6.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals and while shooting 47.1% from the field, and Haliburton is pass-first who can score, averaging 18.8 points, 9.8 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals, and shooting 46.6% from the field in the playoffs.

They won’t always be guarding each other. The Pacers like to force pace, and Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith will get opportunities to defend Gilgeous-Alexander, sometimes guarding him fullcourt.

Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace provide backcourt depth. For Indiana, Bennedict Mathurin, T.J. McConnell, Ben Sheppard, Nembhard, Nesmith give Haliburton support at the guard spot.

Edge: Thunder

Frontcourt: Thunder’s Jalen Williams vs. Pacers’ Pascal Siakam

Both teams boast frontcourt strength and versatility. They like to protect the paint and play on the perimeter. Williams and Siakam are All-Stars who work hard offensively and defensively — and they both made it to the NBA from mid-majors. Williams attended Santa Clara, and Siakam played at New Mexico State. That back-and-forth will be fascinating to watch.

Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, one of the savvier offseason signings, are a significant part of the Thunder’s offensive and defensive success.

Myles Turner, Obi Toppin and Thomas Bryant like to step outside and shoot 3s and play with force.

Edge: Thunder

Bench

Both teams are deep and will use 10 players if necessary. Rotations tighten this deep in the playoffs, so a player like Thomas Bryant might not get consistent from game to game but the Pacers know they can go to him in certain situations. Same with Oklahoma City’s Isaiah Joe, Kenrich Williams and Aaron Wiggins. Both coaches have faith in their reserves to deliver.

Edge: Thunder

Coaching: Rick Carlisle vs. Mark Daigneault

This is Pacers coach Rick Carlisle’s second trip to the Finals as head coach, and he won a title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. He is one of the game’s great coaches and was Coach of the Year in 2001-02. He has adapted to different styles, eras and personnel, and has a gifted offensive mind. He is 83-83 in 16 playoff appearances.

Mark Daigneault, the 2023-24 Coach of the Year, has done a fantastic job with the Thunder from 22 victories in his first season as head coach n 2020-21 to 24 to 40 to 57 to 68 victories this season. The Thunder had the No. 1 defense, No. 3 offense and No. 1 net rating and has helped developed a collegial spirit that works at this level. He is 18-8 in the playoffs over two seasons.

Edge: Pacers

3-point shooting

Both teams can make 3s — the Pacers are better, averaging 13.4 made 3s per game and shooting a 2025 playoff-best 40.1% from that distance. The Thunder are at 12.6 and 33.6%. Oklahoma City is tremendous at taking away the opponent’s offensive strength so it’s worth watching how they try to limit Indiana’s 3-point shooting.

Edge: Pacers

Bonus category: City life

Indianapolis and Oklahoma City are wonderful heartland cities — one more Midwest, the other more southwest. They are cities buoyed by agriculture, tech, medicine, oil and nearby universities. They both bring in a variety of musical acts, arts and entertainment and both have restaurants and chefs recognized by the James Beard Foundation.

Edge: Even

Overall edge: Pacers vs. Thunder

The Thunder were the best team in the regular season and have been the best team in the playoffs. The Pacers have been impressive the past two seasons, but this has seemed like Oklahoma City’s year since the first game in October.

Edge: Thunder

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen won his first NFL MVP award in February. A few months later, he is celebrating another major life milestone.

Allen and his fiancée, actress Hailee Steinfeld, were married Saturday in California. Images from their wedding were shared by People.com and circulated on social media.

Steinfeld – known for her starring roles in ‘True Grit,’ for which she received an Academy Award nomination,’The Edge of Seventeen’ and two ‘Pitch Perfect’ sequels – began dating Allen in 2023. They were spotted together several times before making their first public appearance together in a suite at a Buffalo Sabres game.

The two attended several major events together, including Paris Fashion Week in March 2024, before making their relationship public after a year of speculation. The couple became engaged in November 2024, as Allen announced in an Instagram post.

Steinfeld called it the most ‘magical’ day of her life while Allen relished the opportunity to surprise her with the proposal.

‘I said I couldn’t wait any longer. I said I can’t wait to start a family with you. I said your full name, and I asked you very nicely. I said please,’ Allen said of popping the question in an interview with Steinfeld for her Beau Society newsletter. ‘You were extremely surprised, you said yes, and that was all that mattered to me. And the sun was out.’

It wasn’t initially known when Allen and Steinfeld would be married. However, Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins appeared to hint at it when asked if he had any weddings upcoming during a March appearance on NFL Network’s ‘Good Morning Football.’

‘Soon to come, May 31, it’s happening,’ Dawkins said.

Indeed, it did. Now, with one ring wrapped up, Allen can focus on earning another as he looks to lead the Bills to their first Super Bowl win in franchise history.

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