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John Bolton’s trial still far off as judge grills DOJ over lengthy discovery process

Lawyers for John Bolton and the Trump administration appeared in federal court in Maryland Friday to discuss next steps in the criminal case for Trump’s former national security adviser, who was indicted last month on charges of mishandling classified and sensitive materials.

Bolton was indicted last month on 18 criminal charges stemming from his alleged retention and transmission of classified and sensitive materials during Trump’s first term, including national defense information.

Authorities have accused him of sending more than 1,000 ‘diary-like’ updates to his wife and daughter between 2018 and 2019 via emails and texts, including classified information from intelligence briefings and meetings with foreign officials. 

The pre-trial hearing in Bolton’s case on Friday was largely a procedural one, centered on next steps for both parties to review the breadth of discovery materials Bolton is accused of illegally retaining and transmitting.

If nothing else, it underscored the fact that Bolton’s trial is unlikely to take place for quite some time. The deadlines that both parties agreed to will put discovery in the case well into 2026, with a status conference in the case scheduled for October of next year. A trial date has not yet been set.

U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang seemed reluctant to accept the government’s lengthy proposed timeline for the document review process to take place, noting the government’s obligations under the Speedy Trials Act, which sets time limits for federal criminal trials. 

Seven months ‘is a very long time,’ Chuang told Thomas Sullivan, the lead prosecutor for the Justice Department, referring to the proposed May 22, 2026, date to produce discovery.

‘How many documents are in play here? Frankly, most of this should have been done before the indictment,’ Chuang noted. ‘Even assuming that couldn’t be completed, I still can’t understand why it would take seven months.’

In response, prosecutors noted that they still need to sort through some 1,000 pages of single-space documents obtained from Bolton’s home, and reiterated they have set ‘aggressive deadlines’ for the intelligence community to review the documents.

Bolton’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said in response that there are as many as three electronic devices that they haven’t ‘even started the process’ of reviewing, and which all must be reviewed by the filter team. 

Chuang ultimately agreed to grant a modified review schedule for the documents in question. Parties were ordered to submit by January 12 the first tranche of 10 documents prosecutors have described as being at the ‘heart’ of Bolton’s indictment.

They will also submit a joint status report detailing for the court where they are in the discovery process, and proposing the next interim deadline and the scope of materials that will be reviewed before then. 

The hearing comes as Bolton has attempted to cast his criminal case as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to go after his perceived political foes, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Still, the case against Bolton differs significantly. 

Unlike those cases, Bolton’s investigation into his handling of classified materials moved forward in part during the Biden administration, and career prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s office signed off on the charges — a contrast to the cases against Comey and James, which were brought by Trump’s former attorney, Lindsey Halligan.

Bolton, who pleaded not guilty to all charges last month, was ordered released by a magistrate judge on the condition that he remain in the continental United States and surrender his passport.

In a statement released after his indictment, Bolton said, ‘I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts.’

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Johnson says he’s ‘open’ to changing House censure rules after week of political drama

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is signaling openness to making it harder for House lawmakers to punish each other via a censure resolution.

The congressional leader sat down for an interview with Fox News Digital on Friday, the first week the House returned since the beginning of the 43-day government shutdown began on Oct. 1.

But the five-day legislative week was marked by volatile politics, with three separate lawmakers forcing votes on rebuking one of their colleagues — out of five total threats to do so.

‘There is a large groundswell of bottom up consternation about that. The members are so frustrated by what this has become — and I mean across the Republican conference, and I think on the Democrat side as well,’ Johnson said. ‘I’ve told everybody I’m open to those discussions, because I’m more frustrated than anyone about how this is devolved. I think we’ve got to protect the institution.’

Johnson said those talks have focused specifically on raising the threshold it takes to push a censure. 

Currently, any one lawmaker can introduce a censure resolution against another. Both Republicans and Democrats have also wielded a mechanism this week known as a ‘privileged resolution’ to force an immediate vote on rebuking a colleague.

Johnson said there’s ‘a lot of ideas’ being floated on changing the system.

‘I’ve had members from across the conference bringing me their thoughts and ideas on that, and we’ll be going through that in a deliberative fashion to figure out what makes the most sense,’ he said.

The speaker did not directly commit to a House-wide vote on legislation to change the rule on censure, but he said, ‘I think most of the discussion thus far, again this is coming from members, is that we should raise the threshold so that it can’t just be a one-off individual quest by someone. You’ve got to have some agreement by some small group of members to do it.’

‘That would probably make it a more meaningful and useful tool, and not one that’s abused,’ Johnson said. ‘We don’t have consensus around any particular idea, but it is something that the vast majority of the members of the body are talking about right now.’

He also pushed back on media reports that suggested he wanted to change rules around discharge petitions, another mechanism rank-and-file lawmakers can use to force their will on House leaders.

Johnson said it was not something he was even considering at the moment.

A discharge petition allows lawmakers to initiate a vote on a measure despite leadership’s objections, provided that petition has support from a majority of the House.

It was most recently used successfully by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on a bill forcing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein.

Johnson ended up voting for the bill along with all but one House lawmaker, despite airing concerns about its language possibly not doing enough to protect the privacy of Epstein’s victims and other innocent people whose names may be caught up in the process.

He told Fox News Digital, however, that he is not looking at making changes to that process.

‘Somebody quoted me as saying, ‘I’m going to raise the threshold for discharges’, but that hasn’t even been part of the discussion and not something that I’ve anticipated,’ Johnson said. ‘This discussion has been solely focused on the censure, because it’s so commonly used now.’

Censures are traditionally a rare rebuke reserved for the most egregious instances of violating House decorum. They’ve been used more and more frequently, however, in today’s increasingly tense political environment.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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NFL playoff picture: Texans stay hot, Bills’ AFC East hopes not

Every week for the duration of the 2025 regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the NFL’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting after Sunday afternoon’s late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too).

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Here’s where things stand with Week 12 underway:

AFC playoff picture

1. Denver Broncos (9-2), AFC West leaders: Sunday’s win over Kansas City gave them a chokehold on the AFC West throne the Chiefs have sat upon since 2016. It also moved the Broncos past the Patriots for the conference’s top spot − Denver’s record in AFC games (6-2) currently a half-game better than New England’s. A week off is nice … but it could also drop the Broncos back to the third seed due to their Week 2 loss at Indianapolis. Remaining schedule: BYE, at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

2. New England Patriots (9-2), AFC East leaders: Win at Cincinnati on Sunday, and the Pats become the first team to 10 wins this season and would reclaim first place in the conference. They’re in prime position to win the division for the first time since Tom Brady led them to first place in 2019 and maybe their first No. 1 playoff seed since 2017. Remaining schedule: at Bengals, vs. Giants, BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

3. Indianapolis Colts (8-2), AFC South leaders: The schedule was Charmin soft before their bye, but you can’t control whom you play. The second-half lineup, starting at Arrowhead, seems much less forgiving. So, too, are the Texans, who are mounting a fresh divisional charge. Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4), AFC North leaders: Only one game up on Baltimore for the division lead, which only means a 41% chance the Steelers reach postseason, per Next Gen Stats. Remaining schedule: at Bears, vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), wild card No. 1: The week off arrives right on time for a literally battered team that was figuratively bludgeoned its last time out. Buffalo’s loss Thursday moved Bolts up a spot. Remaining schedule: BYE, vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

6. Buffalo Bills (7-4), wild card No. 2: QB Josh Allen took a beating − as did the Bills’ hopes of catching the Patriots in the AFC East race. Now 4-3 in conference games, Buffalo fell behind the Chargers in the wild-card seeding, too. Remaining schedule: at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4), wild card No. 3: Wins over the Chiefs and Chargers could serve them well when it’s time to sort out tiebreakers. Winning at Arizona? Not so much … though the Jags can’t afford many slip-ups, either. Lose on Sunday, and the Texans displace Jacksonville as the No. 7 seed. Remaining schedule: at Cardinals, at Titans, vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans

8. Houston Texans (6-5), in the hunt: They’ve won four of five, including three in a row without injured QB C.J. Stroud. If they want to win the AFC South for a third straight year, the Texans likely need to sweep the Colts while continuing their surge … but the pieces are falling into place for a late charge to the top. Remaining schedule: at Colts, at Chiefs, vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts

9. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5), in the hunt: Their nine-year run atop the AFC West appears practically over following their loss in Denver. Still plenty of time to recover otherwise for a team that’s never missed the AFC championship game since Patrick Mahomes became the QB1 in 2018. Remaining schedule: vs. Colts, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, vs. Chargers, at Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders

10. Baltimore Ravens (5-5), in the hunt: They’ve won four in a row in their return to relevance. But their best hope to reach the postseason is to win a third consecutive AFC North crown given they’ve already lost to K.C. and Houston. Their upcoming three-game homestand seems … sweepable? Remaining schedule: vs. Jets, vs. Bengals, vs. Steelers, at Bengals, vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers

NFC playoff picture

1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2), NFC East leaders: Win at Dallas on Sunday, and they’re virtually assured of being the division’s first back-to-back champs in 21 years − the Eagles last doing it in 2004. A Week 3 escape from the Rams, which included a blocked field goal returned for a TD on the final play, currently confers the No. 1 seed to Philly. Remaining schedule: at Cowboys, vs. Bears, at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders

2. Los Angeles Rams (8-2), NFC West leaders: While they’re a tiebreaker back of Philly, the Rams also have scant breathing room between themselves and the Seahawks, whom they survived Sunday, and the 49ers in the division. LA plays as many NFC South teams as NFC West rivals down the stretch. Remaining schedule: vs. Buccaneers, at Panthers, at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals

3. Chicago Bears (7-3), NFC North leaders: They’ve won seven of eight since an 0-2 start to stunningly take over first place in the division. Up next? Numerous opportunities to beat their first opponent currently with a winning record. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Eagles, at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4), NFC South leaders: Their divisional lead is down to a half game over Carolina, but the Bucs’ schedule will get quite manageable on the other side of ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Remaining schedule: at Rams, vs. Cardinals, vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers

5. Seattle Seahawks (7-3), wild card No. 1: All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents, including two in the division − defeats that won’t serve them well in the tiebreaker department. Remaining schedule: at Titans, vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers

6. Green Bay Packers (6-3-1), wild card No. 2: They got awfully banged up in Sunday’s victory over the Giants yet eventually advanced one rung in the NFC seedings. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings, at Lions, vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

7. San Francisco 49ers (7-4), wild card No. 3: Detroit’s latest setback moves a third NFC West team into the projected seven-team NFC playoff field. And maybe the Niners can start building some momentum with QB1 Brock Purdy back in the lineup. Monday night’s game against Carolina comes with high stakes. Remaining schedule: vs. Panthers, at Browns, BYE, vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks

8. Detroit Lions (6-4), in the hunt: The offense crashed back to earth Sunday night in Philly as Detroit crashed out of the playoff picture … for now. Had they won in Philly, the Lions would have been the No. 2 seed − illustrative of how tightly packed the conference currently is. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, vs. Packers, vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears

9. Carolina Panthers (6-5), in the hunt: In addition to breathing downs the Bucs’ backs, they’re only a game back of the Niners for the final wild-card spot in the NFC. Winners of six of nine, the Panthers only have one win against a team (Green Bay) currently above .500. Remaining schedule: at 49ers, vs. Rams, BYE, at Saints, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers

10. Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1), in the hunt: Monday’s mauling of the Raiders gave this team a needed lift, both emotionally and in the standings − Dallas moving back into the playoff periphery … but it could have a tough time remaining there given the lineup it’s about to face. Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, vs. Chiefs, at Lions, vs. Vikings, vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025

None

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Canelo Alvarez rumored to want rematch with Terence Crawford in 2026

Two months after Terence Crawford handed Canelo Alvarez the third loss of his career, rumors of a potential rematch in 2026 have surfaced, according to the Mexican outlet TV Azteca.

According to TV Azteca’s social media post, Canelo has discussed plans for a potential rematch, and negotiations are reportedly underway, though specific details remain undisclosed. Crawford has yet to comment or confirm the rematch talks.

Crawford’s first matchup against Canelo in September saw him deliver an impressive performance, defeating Canelo by unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113, making Crawford the undisputed super middleweight champion. With this victory, Crawford, who has an undefeated record of 42 wins including 31 knockouts, became the first male boxer in the four-belt era to achieve undisputed champion status in three different weight classes. He moved up from 154 pounds to 168 pounds to secure the win against Canelo.

Canelo is currently signed to a four-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh, but his next opponent has not been announced.

When is Canelo vs. Crawford 2?

TV Azteca reports that Canelo has initiated discussions for a potential rematch, with negotiations currently in progress, although specific details have not been disclosed. Crawford has not yet commented on or confirmed the rematch discussions.

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

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Shane Beamer makes a big playoff promise for Gamecocks as team flops

Shane Beamer’s seen enough of his South Carolina team’s three-win season to know where the Gamecocks will be this time next year: in the thick of the playoff hunt.

“We’re going to be sitting here (this time next November) watching the playoff rankings to see where we are in the ranking show,” Beamer told reporters this week. “And we’re going to be firmly in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth.”

And Howard Dean yelled, Yeah!

There’s no point in an SEC coach who’ll be entering his sixth season in 2026 asking for patience or trying to water down expectations, so go ahead and call your shot. It’s win or be fired, so Beamer might as well preach from the pulpit that he’s going to win, and maybe a few recruits or transfers will hear him and believe it.

Credit Beamer for making it this long. Assuming he lasts into 2026, he’ll join Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier as South Carolina’s only coaches to reach Year 6 since the Gamecocks started competing in the SEC in 1992. Sparky Woods, Brad Scott and Will Muschamp — all of them were fired in their fifth season.

It’s not that the Gamecocks cannot achieve success. It’s that they’ve been unable to sustain it. Holtz won 17 games in a two-year span before backtracking. Muschamp produced one 9-4 season, which Beamer matched last year.

Peaks and valleys, that’s South Carolina’s existence inside the SEC. Only Spurrier, the best coach in program history, prolonged the peak. The Head Ball Coach won 42 games during one four-year stretch that doesn’t get its proper due among the truly remarkable feats of the past quarter-century.

If Beamer goes belly-up, I’m skeptical that whomever South Carolina hires to replace him will outperform him. But this is a vibes business, and consecutive bad seasons would call for a vibes change.

Beamer didn’t help himself last week. He talked tough during an in-game interview while his Gamecocks surged to a lead on No. 3 Texas A&M. His first-half demeanor was that of a guy acting as if he’d just won on the oval at Darlington Speedway.

Never mind that two quarters remained. The Gamecocks came out in the second half playing like they thought they had the game won.

Who could blame them, if they took their cues from Beamer?

I don’t mean to mock Beamer — or maybe I do — because he came closer to beating the Aggies than anyone else. Coming close won’t be celebrated, though. Being on the losing end of Texas A&M’s biggest comeback in school history will be the narrative that lingers.

Beamer gets his guys up for big games — for a second consecutive season, they pushed Alabama to the brink but failed to shove the Tide off the cliff — and his teams are usually good for a signature moment every November. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit if the Gamecocks beat Clemson during Thanksgiving week. Given the Tigers’ own flop this season, maybe that doesn’t count as a signature, but a rivalry win against Clemson is a rivalry win against Clemson.

“We’re not going to go through this thing again, and we’re going to go finish this season out the right way,” Beamer said.

He’s right. South Carolina’s not going through this again with Beamer. He’ll either turn it around in 2026, or the Gamecocks will be hiring his replacement this time next year.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

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Israel-Hezbollah border tensions rise as terror group rearms, resists US- backed ceasefire

The Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist movement Hezbollah is rebuilding its military arsenal on Israel’s northern border, as experts warn that another war between the two sides could be on the horizon. The latest developments come a year after the U.S. helped broker a ceasefire between the parties.

On Wednesday, IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani, said Hezbollah had engaged ‘in a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.’ Shoshani also released a video showing the rearming, claiming the terror group was ‘operating to reestablish its assets in the village of Beit Lif.’ 

Critics argue that the U.N. peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, is not fulfilling its mandate to disarm the terror group and the Lebanese Armed Forces are moving too slowly, which has led to continued Israeli actions against the terrorists. The IDF has been launching near-daily strikes against the group’s infrastructure and operatives inside Lebanon. 

Sarit Zehavi, a leading Israeli security expert on Hezbollah from the Israel Alma Research and Education Center, told Fox News Digital that Hezbollah does not currently ‘have the capability to carry out an October invasion. They had it prior to Oct. 7, 2023. They can send in a few terrorists. I want to believe it will take a few years to get those capabilities back.’

Fox News Digital exclusively reported last year on Hezbollah’s war plan to invade northern Israel and carry out a scorched-earth campaign against the Jewish state.

A day after the Iran-backed Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and massacred over 1,200 people, Hezbollah launched missile attacks against Israel.

Zehavi said, ‘Both the IDF and Hezbollah are very active. The IDF is very active to stop the rehabilitation of Hezbollah and Hezbollah is very active in rebuilding. Hezbollah learned lessons. It has been more problematic to smuggle weapons to Lebanon from Syria. It is happening. But the Syrians intercepted weapons.’

She noted that the ‘Syrian regime is willing to fight Hezbollah to fight weapons smuggling. Hezbollah is relying more on manufacturing rockets.’

Zehavi, who lives in northern Israel, said that ‘almost half of Israeli attacks on Hezbollah are south of the Litani river. We see a lot of investment from Hezbollah in drones, short-range rockets, mortars and anti-tank missiles.’

On Tuesday in Germany, prosecutors started a trial against an alleged Hezbollah member running ‘an extensive drone program for some time.’

The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office said the suspected Hezbollah operative Fadel Z joined Hezbollah more than 10 years ago and worked as a ‘foreign operator’ for the group’s drone program in 2022 in Spain and Germany.

Zehavi said it suffered a defeat of its leadership via the Mossad pager attack on its commanders. However, she added, ‘Iran immediately provided oxygen to Hezbollah for treatment to help revive Hezbollah.’

She outlined Israel’s main defense strategy against Hezbollah. First, the IDF has positions in Syria and Lebanon. ‘We cannot have civilians on the front line. The IDF is on top of hills in Israel and Lebanon and can see everything and can respond quickly to terrorist activities. This means when an Israeli woman opens her window and used to see a Hezbollah flag, she now sees an Israeli flag. This gives her a sense of security. This was not present before Oct. 7.

She estimates Hezbollah has 50,000 terrorists and 50,000 reservists. ‘We killed a few thousand terrorists.’

The IDF made dramatic advances in eradicating Hezbollah’s missile arsenal. ‘We degraded 80%’ of the rockets, Zehavi said, noting the elimination of sizable numbers of Hezbollah’s long-range and highly accurate missiles.

Edy Cohen, a Lebanese-born Israeli scholar of Hezbollah, said, ‘There is no lack of arms for Hezbollah in Beirut and Lebanon. Lately, we saw many reports that Hezbollah received arms from Syria and Iran is trying to send arms by civilian Iranian airplanes.’

He said there is enormous pressure on Hezbollah and every week Israel is killing Hezbollah operative. The Shiite community in Lebanon wants Hezbollah to retaliate against Israel, said Cohen, adding, ‘For the Shiite community Hezbollah is the state.’

Cohen said the IDF is gathering intelligence information about Hezbollah’s arsenal and attacking almost every day its leaders and operatives.

He warned that because ‘Hezbollah said it will not disarm its militia … the big war will come.’

Fox News Digital reported in early November that Trump’s U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barrack, who also serves as envoy to Syria, said that Lebanon is a ‘failed state,’ because of its ‘paralyzed government.’

He also noted that Hezbollah retains 40,000 fighters and between 15,000 and 20,000 rockets and missiles, noting the terror group pays its militia $2,200 per month, whereas the Lebanese Armed Forces soldiers earn $275 a month and have inferior equipment as well.

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What AI bubble? Nvidia’s strong earnings signal there’s more room to grow

U.S. stock markets were poised for lift off Thursday, after a strong earnings report from computer chip giant Nvidia signaled that there is still plenty of room to run in the artificial intelligence boom that has powered markets higher for much of the year.

Prior to the opening bell, bets on the S&P 500 were up about 1%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 1.5%.

Late Wednesday, Nvidia said sales of its trademark Blackwell AI chips ‘are off the charts,’ while another set of key computer processing units is ‘sold out,” founder and CEO Jensen Huang said in a statement.

On a call with investors following the report, Huang dismissed concerns about an AI bubble.

“There’s been a lot of talk about an AI bubble. From our vantage point, we see something very different,” Huang said.

Dan Ives, managing director at Wedbush Securities finanical group, echoed that sentiment.

“This was a golden quarter for Nvidia with demand massive and well above Street whisper numbers,’ Ives said in an email. ‘These numbers validate the AI Revolution is still early days and send the bears back into hibernation mode.’

Shares of the world’s most valuable company were up more than 4% in after-hours trading.

Nvidia’s chips have been the catalysts for a massive build-out of data centers that have supplied a backbone to the U.S. economy amid slowdowns elsewhere. More money is flowing into building data centers than all other manufacturing facility types combined, according to the research group S&P Global.

Until recently, that spending has also powered major stock indexes to record highs.

Lately, however, stocks have shown signs of wobbling lately. The declines in share prices — led by tech companies — have sparked debates about whether AI-driven gains are beginning to slow.

This raises a bigger question: how the broader economy will perform if it no longer benefits from all the wealth the AI boom is creating.

Nvidia’s latest earnings are likely to allay these fears, for now at least.

Huang said last month that his company had $500 billion in orders for its chips, for 2025 and 2026 combined.

“This is how much business is on the books. Half a trillion dollars’ worth so far,” Huang said at a conference in Washington, D.C.

Alongside broader concerns about the state of the U.S. economy, stock market momentum has been tripped up by worries about circular dealing among AI’s biggest players. This means the same money is being passed back and forth between several companies — even as each company’s individual value climbs.

Nvidia is a fixture in the kinds of deals that are raising concerns. It recently announced a commitment alongside Microsoft to fund AI software provider Anthropic with $10 billion.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang during the Live Keynote Pregame of the Nvidia GPU Technology Conference in Washington on Oct. 28.Jim Watson / AFP – Getty Images file

This kind of big collaboration news would typically boost the stock prices of all the companies involved. But neither Nvidia’s nor Microsoft’s stock got a boost from the Anthropic announcement.

Analysts with Deutsche Bank said this is a sign of the ongoing investor wariness about deals like this.

“It goes to show how sentiment has turned more negative in the last few weeks, with the circular AI deals being treated with increasing caution as the conversation around a potential bubble has gathered pace,” they wrote in a note published Wednesday.

The Nvidia headquarters, in Santa Clara, Calif., on May 21, 2024.Justin Sullivan / Getty Images file

The question now is whether the latest market hiccups represent a temporary pullback, or the onset of a more permanent state of affairs.

For the experts who are cautiously optimistic that the market will continue to climb, Nvidia’s massive haul serves to validate their rosy outlook.

“We think the investment boom has room to run,” Goldman Sachs researchers wrote in a note published Wednesday, adding that the economy writ large has remained resilient, something that should provide ongoing support to stock returns.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Southern California WR hopes to make Oregon defense his latest victim

USC receiver Makai Lemon earned high praise from Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who called him one of the most impactful players he has seen in over 20 years.
Lemon leads all Power Four receivers with 1,090 receiving yards and has become deadly in yards after the catch.
After succeeding against other top defenses, Lemon faces his next challenge against the nation’s top passing defense in Oregon.

Kirk Ferentz hadn’t observed many like him.

In 27 seasons as Iowa coach, Ferentz has face some of the Big Ten’s great skill players. Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Plaxico Buress, Braylon Edwards and the constant NFL stars coming out of Ohio State.

Yet out of the more than 330 games he’s been on the sideline for, Ferentz hadn’t seen anyone do what Southern California receiver Makai Lemon did.

“(Lemon) is as good as I’ve seen. Going back 20-plus years, I don’t know if anybody’s impacted the game more,” Ferentz said. “He’s a really outstanding player.” 

What did Lemon do to earn such praise? Just torch the Hawkeyes for 153 yards on 10 catches and a touchdown as the Trojans rallied for a 26-21 win in Week 12.

Consider Ferentz among the latest to learn the hard way about one of the most explosive receivers in college football. He may not be the biggest – standing at just 5-foot-11-inches – but as the saying goes, it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.

And this dog isn’t afraid of much, ripping apart defenses as he leads USC at a chance to return back to prominence.

‘He’s a fearless player,” said coach Lincoln Riley. “He’s always had just that fearless quality to him, and that continues to show up to this day.”

Makai Lemon putting on some ‘man strength’

After consistently improving his first two seasons in Los Angeles, Lemon went into his junior year with the goal of getting stronger. Luckily, USC brought in longtime strength and conditioning coach Trumain Carroll to toughen up the Trojans. 

Emphasis was put on the offensive and defensive line, but Lemon put in the work in the weight room; he added five pounds, feeling muscular and more explosive.

“This is a man’s game, so you got to put on some man strength,” Lemon said in August.

The work has translated onto the field, as Lemon has become a deadly weapon in USC’s high powered offense. He has 1,090 receiving yards, the most among players on Power Four teams and third-most in all of the Bowl Subdivision. He’s had five games with at least 125 receiving yards and is a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award given to the nation’s best receiver.

What makes Lemon so spectacular is he can do it in any way that’s asked. Out wide, in the slot or behind the quarterback, Lemon impacts every part of the field.

Despite not having a tall stature, he has the ability to reach up and snatch the ball above defenders. If he’s not making sensational catches, he’s maneuvering through defenses and finding open space for quarterback Jayden Maiava to thread the needle.

Riley has praised his ability as a route runner, noting Lemon has a deep understanding of how defenses scheme. 

But if there’s a part of his game that stands out, it’s the one Lemon takes the most pride in: yards after the catch. Of his 1,090 receiving yards, 467 have come after the catch, the most in the Big Ten.

“Anytime I try to catch, I’m just trying to take it to the end zone,” Lemon said.

Can Makai Lemon beat another top defense?

Ferentz was the latest coach to have a strong passing defense that couldn’t find an answer to stop Lemon’s impact. In the past three weeks, USC has gone against teams that rank No. 3 (Nebraska), No. 31 (Northwestern) and No. 6 (Iowa) in passing yards allowed.

The Cornhuskers were able to limit Lemon to a season-low 14 yards on two catches. In the past two games, Lemon has 21 catches for 314 yards and two touchdowns.

The opponents don’t get any easier Saturday, Nov. 22 against Oregon, which has the best passing defense in the country, giving up just 127.3 yards in the air. Montana State’s Taco Dowler and Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt are the only receivers to get at least 100 yards against the Ducks secondary.

Even with the challenge Lemon and USC face, Oregon knows it will be equally as tough trying to stop one of the game’s best receivers.

‘He’s a tough matchup,’ said Oregon coach Dan Lanning. ‘The fact that they move him around certainly makes it a challenge. It’s hard. You’ve seen some teams try to match up to him and that can be difficult in certain calls, also could be an indicator at times.’

Lemon isn’t the most vocal person, nor does he really care about what people say about him.

That works just fine since his play has done plenty of talking. If he’s able to dissect another vaunted defense in Autzen Stadium, Lemon could lead the Trojans back into the national spotlight.

“It’s gonna be a fun one on Saturday,” Lemon said. “Another game to put on, show what we do on the field.”

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Will 2025 NWSL championship be Trinity Rodman’s last match?

The Washington Spirit are set to make their second consecutive NWSL championship appearance on Saturday. All eyes will be on Trinity Rodman’s availability for the title match and beyond.

Rodman is set to become a free agent after the 2025 NWSL season concludes with the title match between the No. 2 seed Spirit and No. 8 Gotham FC on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, FOX) at PayPal Park in San Jose, California. Although NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said: ‘We want Trinity (Rodman) in our league and we will fight for her’ on Thursday, it remains to be seen if the NWSL can compete with the salaries offered by European leagues overseas.

Could the the NWSL championship be Rodman’s last in a Spirit jersey? Will Rodman be the next American soccer star to leave the NWSL for Europe, following the departures of Alyssa Thompson and Naomi Girma?

As questions swirl about Rodman’s future, the 23-year-old said she’s focusing on the present, recovering from a Grade 1 MCL sprain suffered on Oct. 15 amid an injury-riddled season.

“Right now, my head’s completely down. It’s been so distracting being injured and that’s all I can really think about,” Rodman said Nov. 15 following the Spirit’s 2-0 semifinal win over the Portland Thorns. “Once we get this championship, then I can start making decisions and figuring out what next year looks like for me.”

Rodman made her first appearance of the 2025 postseason during the Spirit’s semifinal win, subbing in at the 90th minute. She almost scored during the 95th minute, but her shot narrowly missed wide. Rodman had been listed as questionable for the quarterfinals and didn’t play in the Spirit’s win over Racing Louisville FC despite being listed as a reserve. 

‘It’s important to get those minutes to see (and) to feel that you are a player again on the field,’ Spirit coach Adrián González said on Nov. 15. ‘We didn’t want to take too much risk obviously in terms of minutes, but I think she’s been doing a great job trying to push recovery and being able now to have the opportunity to get some minutes.’

Rodman was the youngest player to be drafted into the NWSL when the Spirit selected her second overall in the 2021 NWSL college draft. Rodman not only led the Spirit to the club’s first NWSL title in 2021, she ended her first season with NWSL Rookie of the Year and first-team honors.

Rodman signed a contract extension in February 2022 with the Spirit through the 2024 season with an option for 2025. It was reported Rodman’s contract extension included $1.1 million guaranteed, making her the highest paid player in NWSL history at the time.

‘We do not believe the NWSL is a charity. We believe it is a business, and in order to treat it like a business, it means that the amount that our teams are investing has to have a rational relationship to revenue,’ Berman said. ‘When we go through that process of reviewing the overall ecosystem and the value proposition that we’re offering to top talent and to our players, and we’re looking at the amount being invested in training facilities, in stadiums, in compensation for players, we have to look at it in the context of where our business is at.’

Rodman reiterated on Thursday that she’s made ‘no decisions’ on her future yet.

‘Yeah, there could be conversations being had, but right now I am so excited to be representing the Spirit,’ Rodman added during championship media day on Thursday. ‘I’m not even thinking of when my last game will be. I just want to win it and then we’ll see.’

The Spirit will have to go through Gotham FC in the 2025 NWSL Championship. Gotham may have entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, but they’ve been on a Cinderella run and played their way into the title match. They have a chip on their shoulder after being labeled the underdogs of the playoffs.

‘I feel like everyone as individuals play so much better when they’re really confident and we have something to play for and something to prove,’ said Gotham midfielder Jaedyn Shaw, who has scored two playoff goals and assisted on another in the postseason. ‘So I mean, if that’s where we’re getting it from, then shoot, we’re going to keep saying it. We’re going to keep doing what we need to do, because haters going to be wherever we are and that means we are doing something right.’

The Spirit are vying for their first title since 2021. Gotham is looking for its first championship since 2023.

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Latest on NBA betting scandal as Billups, Jones due for court date

The three individuals with NBA ties are getting set to make court appearances over charges they were involved in illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by organized crime.

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones were arrested in the early hours of Oct. 23, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York laid out their case in an indictment, in which nearly three dozen people were arrested for their roles in the betting and poker game scheme.

‘As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, using private locker room and medical information to enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,’ United States Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said. ‘This was a sophisticated conspiracy involving athletes, coaches, and intermediaries who exploited confidential information for profit.’

Here is the latest in the NBA betting scandal that has rocked the league:

Chauncey Billups

Billups is set for a Nov. 24 court date in Brooklyn at federal court in the Eastern District of New York.

The feds say that Billups was a ‘face card’ in the scheme, helping to lure players in April 2019 to games held in Las Vegas, where a rigged shuffling machine was used to dupe victims of at least $50,000.

The 49-year-old Billups, a five-time All-Star who spent 17 seasons in the NBA and won a Finals MVP award with the Detroit Pistons in 2004, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.

In another part of the indictment tied to gambling, Billups is believed to be ‘Co-Conspirator 8,’ who authorities say gave confidential game information before it was publicly available, and is described as an ex-NBA player who played from 1997 to 2014, an NBA coach since 2021, and an Oregon resident. Billups meets all three of those characteristics.

Terry Rozier

Rozier is also on unpaid leave from the NBA, and federal authorities allege in court documents that the Miami Heat guard provided insider information, which gamblers used to make wagers involving the Los Angeles Lakers, Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors over the span of a year.

Rozier allegedly schemed to leave early during a March 23, 2023, game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to a foot injury. Rozier played less than 10 minutes in the game and did not return, finishing with five points and two assists. The accusation is that Rozier told co-defendant Deniro Laster he would leave the game early, and that information was sold to others, who made the ‘under’ bets.

The next court appearance for Rozier is Dec. 8 at the Brooklyn federal courthouse.

Damon Jones

Jones allegedly shared and sold insider information on numerous occasions about undisclosed details of NBA games, such as lineup decisions and pre-released medical information, to his co-conspirators, who then placed significant wagers based on the tips. The medical information allegedly involved LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who were playing for the Lakers at the time. James and Davis have not being accused of any wrongdoing.

Jones is also accused of using his notoriety to get people to poker games rigged by organized crime figures in order to steal money from them, sometimes using technology, including poker chip trays with hidden cameras, and rigged shuffling machines with the ability to read the cards in the deck.

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