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Memphis Grizzlies reveal Ja Morant injury

Ja Morant will be reevaluated in two weeks after suffering a Grade 1 right calf strain.
The injury comes after Morant was suspended for one game for conduct detrimental to the team.
Morant is currently averaging career lows in several statistical categories, including field goal percentage.
The Grizzlies are dealing with multiple injuries at the point guard position, complicating their depth.

Ja Morant’s already tumultuous start to the NBA season just became a little more complicated.

The Memphis Grizzlies announced Monday, Nov. 17 that Morant suffered a Grade 1 right calf strain and said he would be reevaluated in two weeks. This comes after Morant has clashed with the Grizzlies coaching staff, ultimately resulting in a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.

It started when Morant was short with reporters following a 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Friday, Oct. 31. During that session, Morant told reporters to ‘go ask the coaching staff’ when questioned about his performance.

Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo reportedly challenged Morant’s leadership and asked him to respond better to adversity. Morant reportedly bristled at that, and criticized Iisalo’s substitution patterns.

Here’s everything you need to know about Ja Morant’s injury:

Ja Morant injury update

Morant suffered the injury midway through the first quarter of Memphis’ game against the Cavaliers, Saturday, Nov. 15. He appeared to suffer a tweak during the game, favoring the injured calf and limping very subtly. When he went to run, he didn’t do so at full speed and his gait seemed impaired.

Then, during a stoppage in play when teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went to shoot free throws with 6:01 left to play in the period, Morant signaled to the bench and removed himself from the game. He went straight into the locker room and did not return.

The injury was described during the game as calf soreness.

Morant had sat out the team’s prior game, against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, Nov. 12, with a right ankle issue.

Who is Ja Morant’s backup on Grizzlies depth chart?

The Grizzlies already lacked depth at point guard, and this certainly complicates matters. Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), Ty Jerome (calf) and Javon Small (toe) are all players who can fill in at the position, and all are missing time with their ailments.

During the Cavaliers game, guard Vince Williams Jr. replaced Morant, and he and Cam Spencer figure to get most of the minutes at point guard while Morant and his teammates are on the mend.

Memphis also recently signed rookie guard Jahmai Mashack to a two-way contract to provide more depth.

Ja Morant stats

Morant, 26, is averaging career lows in minutes per game (28.8), field goal percentage (35.9%), 3-point percentage (16.7%) and rebounds per game (3.5). His 17.9 points per game are just a fraction off of his career low total from his rookie season (17.8).

What does this mean for Ja Morant?

This comes as another frustration for Morant, who has struggled to take off this year. The suspension and clash with the coaching staff has led to speculation that the Grizzlies could consider moving Morant in a trade, though his availability and off-court conduct has cratered his value.

When healthy and engaged, Morant remains one of the more dynamic athletes in the NBA.

This injury, however, could complicate any potential personnel moves Memphis may be planning. For one, calf strains are tricky injuries that may be precursors to Achilles ruptures, a USA TODAY Sports analysis found out. So it makes sense for teams to be more cautious with players suffering these injuries.

The trade deadline, though, is Thursday, Feb. 5, so there’s ample time for Morant to heal. Still, for the 4-10 Grizzlies, this is yet another injury that slows the team’s development.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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UN Security Council backs Trump’s Gaza peace plan after Waltz calls territory ‘hell on earth’

The U.N. Security Council on Monday adopted a U.S.-backed resolution to end the Gaza war and deploy an international stabilization force after Ambassador Mike Waltz urged members to support what he called ‘a bold, pragmatic blueprint’ born from President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan.

In an address to the council, Waltz described Gaza as ‘a hell on earth’ after two years of conflict, saying the resolution offered the world a chance to replace ‘rubble where schools once stood’ with ‘a path to peace.’ The measure passed 14–0, with two abstentions — including Russia — and was adopted.

‘Voting yes today isn’t just endorsing a plan,’ Waltz said. ‘It’s affirming our shared humanity. A vote against this resolution is a vote to return to war.’

The plan, developed through U.S.-led diplomacy with Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia, establishes a multinational stabilization force to secure Gaza, oversee demilitarization and protect civilians as Israel gradually withdraws.

Waltz said many of the peacekeepers will come from Muslim-majority nations, including Indonesia and Azerbaijan.

He credited Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff with brokering the deal, which has already produced what he called ‘tangible results’ — a holding ceasefire and the release of 45 hostages by Hamas. Waltz said the United States remains committed to ensuring the return of the remaining hostages still believed to be held in Gaza.

‘This resolution charts a path for Palestinian self-determination after the Palestinian Authority completes key reforms,’ Waltz said. ‘It dismantles Hamas’s grip and ensures Gaza rises free from terror’s shadow — prosperous and secure.’

Following the vote, Waltz thanked Council members for what he called ‘a historic and constructive resolution’ and praised the coalition of nations that supported Trump’s plan.

He said the Board of Peace, which will be led by the president, ‘remains the cornerstone of our effort’ to rebuild Gaza and establish accountable local governance.

The board will coordinate humanitarian assistance, oversee reconstruction, and support a technocratic Palestinian committee responsible for day-to-day administration while the Palestinian Authority implements its reforms. Waltz said the stabilization force will ‘dismantle terrorist infrastructure, decommission weapons, and maintain the safety of Palestinian civilians.’

‘The path to prosperity requires security first,’ Waltz said. ‘Security is the oxygen that governance and development need to live and thrive.’

Russia abstained from the vote after circulating a rival draft. Waltz said hesitation and delay would only ‘cost lives,’ adding that ‘every day without this force, aid trucks lie idle, children starve, and extremists regroup.’

Trump praised the U.N. Security Council’s passage of the Gaza peace resolution Monday, calling it ‘one of the biggest approvals in the history of the United Nations.’

In a post on Truth Social, Trump congratulated world leaders and said the creation of the Board of Peace, which he will chair, represents ‘a moment of true historic proportion.’

Trump said the board will include ‘the most powerful and respected leaders throughout the world’ and pledged to announce additional members in the coming weeks. He thanked both Security Council members and partner nations — including Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, and Jordan — for backing the plan.

‘This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the history of the United Nations,’ Trump wrote. ‘It will lead to further peace all over the world and is a moment of true historic proportion.’

Trump’s message echoed the themes laid out by Waltz, who credited the president’s leadership and diplomacy for uniting regional powers behind the peace initiative.

‘President Trump’s historic 20-point plan marks the beginning of a strong, stable, and prosperous region,’ Waltz said. ‘Under President Trump’s bold leadership, the United States will continue to deliver results alongside our partners to make lasting peace a reality.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Trump, FIFA president announce ‘FIFA PASS’ expedited visa interviews

FIFA President Gianni Infantino was in the Oval Office on Monday for an announcement alongside U.S. President Donald Trump and the 2026 World Cup White House Task Force. They introduced ‘FIFA PASS,’ an expedited visa interview process for World Cup ticketholders visiting the United States.

The meeting originally was scheduled for 2 p.m. ET but began closer to 2:45 p.m. The administration announced an expedited visa process for World Cup ticket holders attempting to enter the country.

The meeting took place with a little more than two weeks left until the 2026 World Cup Draw, which will be held Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Infantino has been a frequent visitor at the White House since Trump took office in January. Most recently, Infantino visited in August to promote the start of ticket sales for the World Cup.

Buy World Cup tickets now

The United States will host the bulk of the games at the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off in June and will be co-hosted by Mexico and Canada. The tournament will feature 48 teams for the first time.

Trump established the Task Force in March via an executive order, which stated that it would ‘assist in the planning, organization and execution of the events surrounding the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.’

How to watch President Trump meeting with 2026 FIFA World Cup Task Force at White House

Watch the meeting live below or at the top of this page. You can also view it directly on the USA TODAY Sports and White House YouTube channels.

Trump, World Cup task force announce expedited visa screening

The Trump administration and the White House’s FIFA Task Force announced the FIFA Prioritized Appointments Scheduling System (PASS). The goal is to cut the wait time for vis interviews from several months to 6-8 weeks, President Trump said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged those with tickets to begin the visa process as soon as possible and not wait until the last minute.

‘Your ticket is not a visa,’ Rubio emphasized.

Trump, FIFA president don’t rule out moving World Cup games

A reporter asked President Trump about Seattle’s new Democratic socialist mayor-elect Katie Wilson, and whether her agenda and pre-existing crime issues there, could affect the city hosting six World Cup games next year. Trump turned the question to Infantino. The FIFA president did not rule out the possibility, though he emphasized early ticket sales suggest fans are not concerned about safety and security at this point.

‘Safety and security are the No. 1 priority for a successful World Cup,’ Infantino said in response. ‘We can see today that people have trust in the United States and we see the ticket sales, tickets sold, are record breaking. Almost 2 million sold already out of 2 million … because people, they know, they will be coming here and they will experience a safe and secure World Cup. It’s of course the responsibility of the government … and obviously, we will, we will discuss, we are working together. We have a Task Force for this and we must ensure that all fans coming from abroad here can experience a celebration of coming together, of the sport, and this goes on with 100% safety.’

Trump wants mayors, governors to ask for World Cup security help

Though Trump’s press conference included several topics besides the World Cup, it did come up again with a follow up question for the president about the logistics of potentially moving games and if there’s a deadline to do so. Trump focused his answer on the state of California, which will host games at SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles and Levi’s Stadium in the Bay Area next summer, and his willingness to devote federal help to ensure safety around World Cup games.

“The governors are going to have to behave, the mayors are going to have to behave,’ Trump said. ‘… I love Los Angeles. If they want help during this, I would love to send in National Guard or whoever is necessary during that. I want it to be great. I would love it to be in Los Angeles. I love the place. It’s a natural for Los Angeles. If we think there’s going to be crime, if we’re obstructed by the governor – maybe he won’t obstruct, maybe he’ll be great – but I’d love for him to call and say could I have some extra help. Because if there’s even a hint of a problem, we want to get in there before the problem occurs. We want to make it totally safe for … all of the great people that are going to be there, and I think it’s going to happen. I would be honored to help California if they’re going to have a problem. … We can be in there in 24 hours notice.’

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Giants punished standout rookie for sleeping through walk-through

New York Giants rookie edge rusher Abdul Carter was benched for the first series of Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers for what he said was ‘a mistake during the week that was detrimental to the team.’

On Monday, details behind what drove interim coach Mike Kafka’s decision emerged.

Carter was held out of action to start the game after he slept through a team walk-through in the lead-up to the game, The Athletic and ESPN reported.

Carter later countered the reports on social media.

In his first game leading the team after coach Brian Daboll’s firing, Kafka made the decision to address Carter’s trend of being late to meetings this season, The Athletic reported.

Kafka did not divulge details about any incident, saying only he had discussed the matter with Carter.

‘That was the coach’s decision,’ Kafka said after the game. ‘It’s something we talked about. I want to make sure it was my decision. So, we’ll just keep the rest of that in-house.’

The No. 3 overall pick in April, Carter has just ½ sack in his rookie season but is tied for 17th in the NFL with 37 total pressures, according to Next Gen Stats.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Georgia, Oklahoma lead teams rising in NCAA Re-Rank 1-136

Georgia has moved up to the No. 4 spot after a dominant win against Texas.
Oklahoma’s victory over Alabama has propelled the Sooners to No. 8 in the rankings.
Texas fell eight spots to No. 18, significantly hurting its playoff chances.

Georgia inches up to No. 4, Oklahoma rises to No. 8 and Alabama drops to No. 9 as the USA TODAY Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-136 grapples with several key results in the SEC.

After dominating Texas in a 35-10 win, the Bulldogs take over as the team to beat in a conference that still has one unbeaten in No. 3 Texas A&M, which pulled off a historic comeback to beat South Carolina.

Oklahoma rises on the back of a 23-21 win at Alabama. Thanks to what is by far the best win of the Brent Venables era, the Sooners are smack in the middle of the College Football Playoff race with games against Missouri and LSU to end the month.

The loss dumps Alabama five spots. Also moving down is No. 10 Notre Dame, which falls one spot due to Oklahoma’s rise. Texas drops eight spots to No. 18 and is basically eliminated from the at-large mix. Georgia Tech falls three to No. 15 after narrowly escaping against the worst team in the ACC in Boston College.

One other change near the top of the re-rank has Texas Tech climbing to No. 6 and leapfrogging No. 7 Mississippi after the Rebels failed to impress in a 34-24 win at home against Florida.

The back end of the top 25 features several Group of Five teams surging toward the finish line of the regular season. No. 21 Tulane leads all Group of Five teams, followed by No. 22 James Madison and No. 23 North Texas. Next comes No. 27 Navy and No. 33 San Diego State.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Memphis Grizzilies reveal Ja Morant injury

Ja Morant will be reevaluated in two weeks after suffering a Grade 1 right calf strain.
The injury comes after Morant was suspended for one game for conduct detrimental to the team.
Morant is currently averaging career lows in several statistical categories, including field goal percentage.
The Grizzlies are dealing with multiple injuries at the point guard position, complicating their depth.

Ja Morant’s already tumultuous start to the NBA season just became a little more complicated.

The Memphis Grizzlies announced Monday, Nov. 17 that Morant suffered a Grade 1 right calf strain and said he would be reevaluated in two weeks. This comes after Morant has clashed with the Grizzlies coaching staff, ultimately resulting in a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.

It started when Morant was short with reporters following a 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Friday, Oct. 31. During that session, Morant told reporters to ‘go ask the coaching staff’ when questioned about his performance.

Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo reportedly challenged Morant’s leadership and asked him to respond better to adversity. Morant reportedly bristled at that, and criticized Iisalo’s substitution patterns.

Here’s everything you need to know about Ja Morant’s injury:

Ja Morant injury update

Morant suffered the injury midway through the first quarter of Memphis’ game against the Cavaliers, Saturday, Nov. 15. He appeared to suffer a tweak during the game, favoring the injured calf and limping very subtly. When he went to run, he didn’t do so at full speed and his gait seemed impaired.

Then, during a stoppage in play when teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went to shoot free throws with 6:01 left to play in the period, Morant signaled to the bench and removed himself from the game. He went straight into the locker room and did not return.

The injury was described during the game as calf soreness.

Morant had sat out the team’s prior game, against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, Nov. 12, with a right ankle issue.

Who is Ja Morant’s backup on Grizzlies depth chart?

The Grizzlies already lacked depth at point guard, and this certainly complicates matters. Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), Ty Jerome (calf) and Javon Small (toe) are all players who can fill in at the position, and all are missing time with their ailments.

During the Cavaliers game, guard Vince Williams Jr. replaced Morant, and he and Cam Spencer figure to get most of the minutes at point guard while Morant and his teammates are on the mend.

Memphis also recently signed rookie guard Jahmai Mashack to a two-way contract to provide more depth.

Ja Morant stats

Morant, 26, is averaging career lows in minutes per game (28.8), field goal percentage (35.9%), 3-point percentage (16.7%) and rebounds per game (3.5). His 17.9 points per game are just a fraction off of his career low total from his rookie season (17.8).

What does this mean for Ja Morant?

This comes as another frustration for Morant, who has struggled to take off this year. The suspension and clash with the coaching staff has led to speculation that the Grizzlies could consider moving Morant in a trade, though his availability and off-court conduct has cratered his value.

When healthy and engaged, Morant remains one of the more dynamic athletes in the NBA.

This injury, however, could complicate any potential personnel moves Memphis may be planning. For one, calf strains are tricky injuries that may be precursors to Achilles ruptures, a USA TODAY Sports analysis found out. So it makes sense for teams to be more cautious with players suffering these injuries.

The trade deadline, though, is Thursday, Feb. 5, so there’s ample time for Morant to heal. Still, for the 4-10 Grizzlies, this is yet another injury that slows the team’s development.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Pro-life pregnancy centers see client increase after Supreme Court decision: study

Facilities designed to discourage abortion have seen tens of thousands of additional clients in the wake of the Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs ruling, according to a study published Monday.

The Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of the pro-life organization SBA Pro-Life America, found in its annual report that the facilities, often known as pregnancy resource centers, surpassed one million clients for the first time in 2024.

That total is up from 974,965 in 2022, when the high court scrapped the federal right to abortion and flipped the issue back into the hands of states. The study looked at data from roughly 3,000 facilities nationwide.

The centers poured nearly half a billion dollars into supporting their clients, and the dollar value of material goods, such as diapers, strollers and cribs, provided to clients rose 48% from 2022.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, told reporters on Monday the centers were an answer to the prevalence of abortion since Dobbs that the Charlotte Lozier Institute has attributed, at least in part, to easy access to abortion pills, which people can purchase by mail.

Pregnancy resource centers have ‘become even more important, especially with the horrific national policy that we have on the abortion drug which has led to the increase of abortions to around 1.1 million,’ Dannenfelser said.

‘You have a Planned Parenthood organization and a big abortion movement that, to the problem of addiction, says when she enters a clinic, or she goes online, ‘Here’s your pill. Have a nice life,’’ Dannenfelser said.

‘Pregnancy centers, with the support of care workers, are going to the roots of the problem, to addiction, domestic abuse, homelessness, of the problem of just physically getting to your job so that you can do your job and support your family, the question of finishing school that you find yourself needing more resources and community and help at a moment where you want to say yes to your child and you also want to say yes to your own life and its trajectory,’ she said.

Pregnancy centers have faced criticism, largely from the left, that they deceive their clients and donors into thinking they are not firmly against abortion and mislead clients about their ability to practice medicine. A lawsuit centered on that fight is pending before the Supreme Court; the high court will hear oral arguments in the case next month.

The report showed that clinics offer a range of services, from providing tangible items to adoption agency services, counseling and a variety of medical services, including abortion pill reversal, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and STD screening.

The Charlotte Lozier Institute also said it found that more than 60% of women who have had abortions would rather have given birth if they had had more emotional and financial support.

‘When we have the courage to ask the questions of real women in the real world, this is what we find over and over and over again,’ Dannenfelser said.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Raspy-voiced Trump reveals reason he ‘blew my stack’ in heated discussion

President Donald Trump blamed his hoarse voice on a tense discussion with a foreign nation who attempted to renegotiate the terms of their trade deal. 

Trump sported a raspy voice during a meeting with the White House’s task force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, prompting a reporter to ask if he felt alright.

‘I feel great. I was shouting at people because they were stupid about something having to do with trade and a country, and I straightened it out, but I blew my stack at these people,’ Trump told reporters Monday.

When pressed about which country, Trump did not specify which nation sparked his ire and only said that he wasn’t pleased.

‘A country wanted to try and renegotiate the terms of their trade deal,’ Trump said. ‘And I wasn’t happy about it.’

When asked again which country, Trump said: ‘Why would I say that to you?’

The U.S. has engaged in trade talks with a number of countries in recent months, including Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia. Additionally, Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in October, where the two hammered out some negotiations on trade between the two countries.

For example, Trump said he agreed to cut tariffs on Chinese imports by 10% — bring down the rate from 57% to 47% — because China said it would work with the U.S. on addressing the fentanyl crisis.

Likewise, Trump said that he would not impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods that were expected to kick in Nov. 1. Trump threatened the steep hike after China announced in October it would impose export controls on rare-earth magnets, which he said China had agreed to postpone by a year.

Afterward, Trump said that a broader trade deal between the two countries would be signed in the near future.

‘Zero, to 10, with 10 being the best, I’d say the meeting was a 12,’ Trump told reporters after meeting with Xi. ‘A lot of decisions were made … and we’ve come to a conclusion on very many important points.’

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China military reaches ‘war footing’ with new missile silos and advanced AI warfare systems

China’s military buildup has reached what a new congressional report calls a ‘war footing,’ with hundreds of new missile silos and expanding nuclear capabilities that could erode America’s long-standing deterrence edge in the Indo-Pacific.

China has built roughly 350 new intercontinental missile silos and expanded its nuclear warhead stockpile by 20% in the past year, part of a sweeping military expansion that the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission says could strain U.S. readiness to counter Chinese aggression.

The commission’s 2025 annual report to Congress says Beijing’s rapid nuclear buildup, combined with new artificial intelligence-driven warfare systems, is transforming the People’s Liberation Army into a force ‘capable of fighting and winning a war against the United States’ — even without matching U.S. nuclear numbers.

According to the report, China has unveiled an AI-powered electronic warfare system capable of detecting and suppressing U.S. radar signals as far as Guam, the Marshall Islands and Alaska, and is now deploying 6G-based platforms across its armed forces.

The report says China unveiled a new 6G-based electronic warfare platform in mid-2025, capable of coordinating radar jamming and signal interception across long distances. The system reportedly uses high-speed data links and artificial intelligence to synchronize attacks on U.S. and allied radar networks — a preview of what Beijing calls ‘intelligentized warfare.’

 At a military parade in Beijing this September, China for the first time displayed a full nuclear triad — missiles launchable from land, air and sea.

The commission warns these advances, paired with China’s political crackdown and economic leverage, could allow Beijing to act ‘quickly and decisively in a crisis,’ shortening the time the U.S. and its allies would have to respond to aggression.

The commission is urging Congress to require the Pentagon to conduct a full audit of U.S. readiness to defend Taiwan, warning that Washington may no longer meet its legal obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act. The report calls for a classified and unclassified assessment of whether U.S. forces could ‘resist any resort to force or coercion’ by China — even in a scenario where the United States is also facing simultaneous aggression from Russia, Iran or North Korea.

Read the report below. App users: Click here

A war over Taiwan, the commission cautions, could wipe out up to 10% of global GDP — a shock on par with the 2008 financial crisis — and carry a ‘cataclysmic’ risk of nuclear escalation and wider conflict in the Indo-Pacific.

China now holds around 600 nuclear warheads. The Pentagon has assessed China is aiming to own 1,000 by 2030. 

The report further warns that China’s economic coercion is compounding the threat, pointing to Beijing’s dominance in foundational semiconductors, rare earth minerals, and printed circuit boards. It says these dependencies could leave the United States ‘reliant on its rival for the backbone of its modern economy and military.’

Among 28 recommendations, the commission calls for Congress to bar Chinese-made components from U.S. power grids, create a unified economic statecraft agency to enforce export controls, and reaffirm diplomatic backing for Taiwan — including its partnership with the Vatican, one of Taiwan’s few remaining formal allies that Beijing has sought to isolate through church diplomacy.

‘China’s rapid military and economic mobilization shortens U.S. warning timelines,’ the report concludes, warning that without a coordinated response, America’s deterrence posture ‘risks falling short’ against Beijing’s expanding capabilities.

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Longtime Walmart CEO to step down in January

Walmart announced Friday that longtime CEO Doug McMillon will retire at the end of January — which came as a surprise to some given the company’s success in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.

John Furner, Walmart’s U.S. CEO, will assume the role of overall CEO on Feb. 1, the company said. McMillon will continue to serve in an executive and advisory role through January 2027. Furner, 51, began his career at Walmart as an hourly associate.

McMillon, 59, has held the top job since 2014 and is only the fifth person to lead the storied company in its 63-year history.

McMillon has overseen a radical transformation of Walmart’s image in a little over a decade.

In 2014, Walmart had a reputation as a budget retail option and was accused of underpaying its associates. Today, it draws more well-to-do shoppers and has earned credit for adopting innovative personnel policies.

McMillon also built up Walmart’s e-commerce operation into the country’s second-largest, behind only Amazon. Over the course of McMillon’s tenure, the value of Walmart’s shares has increased some 300%.

“Serving as Walmart’s CEO has been a great honor and I’m thankful to our Board and the Walton family for the opportunity,” McMillon said in a statement. “I’ve worked with John for more than 20 years. … He’s uniquely capable of leading the company through this next AI-driven transformation.”

America’s retail landscape continues to rapidly evolve, as consumer spending habits increasingly bifurcate between wealthier households and everyone else.

However, Walmart’s quarterly results have held steady — and the company has been justly rewarded by investors. Just this year, Walmart shares have climbed around 13%. Over the course of McMillon’s tenure, the retailer’s stock price is up some 300%.

On Walmart’s most recent earnings call in August, McMillon indicated the company has been able to withstand the broader pressures facing consumers. Its shoppers’ “behavior has been generally consistent,” he said. “We aren’t seeing dramatic shifts.”

Other retailers have not been so fortunate.

Target’s shares have lost about one-third of their value this year, as the chain works to regain its footing in a more value-conscious environment. In August, longtime CEO Brian Cornell announced plans to step down.

Amazon, meanwhile, has fared slightly better as consumers continue to prioritize the convenience of online shopping. But it recently announced thousands of layoffs affecting corporate employees. Amazon’s share price has climbed about 8% this year.

McMillon has also steered Walmart through a volatile period in U.S. politics, during which elected officials have engaged directly with companies and consumers have proven willing to boycott corporate giants over social issues.

Walmart found itself in President Donald Trump’s crosshairs in May, after it signaled plans to increase some prices in response to his tariffs.

“Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!”

While subsequent reports indicated that Walmart had indeed increased prices on some items, McMillon said in August that the changes were gradual enough that consumer habits shifted only modestly.

Six months after Trump singled Walmart out over tariffs, he did so again — but for a very different reason.

In recent weeks, the Trump White House has repeatedly touted Walmart’s 2025 Thanksgiving menu package — which costs less overall than the retailer’s similar menu did last year — as a sign that the president’s economic policies have helped drive down grocery prices for consumers.

But there is a flaw in that rationale. This year’s Walmart Thanksgiving menu contains fewer items than last year’s menu did.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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