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Stars vs. Oilers live updates: Highlights, how to watch

The Dallas Stars host the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in what figures to be a thrilling NHL playoff series.

The playoffs haven’t been easy for Dallas, which survived a seven-game battle with the Colorado Avalanche and then saw off the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets in six. Winger Mikko Rantanen, who came to the Stars at the trade deadline, leads all players with nine goals and 19 points, while goalie Jake Oettinger has stood tall despite facing 102 more shots than anyone else in these playoffs.

For Edmonton, everything may be coming together at a perfect moment. The Oilers were down 2-0 in the first round, but have since won eight of nine to eliminate the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined for 25 assists for a team that has weaponized its outstanding team speed to earn this shot at a Stanley Cup Final berth.

USA TODAY is providing live updates for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers. Follow along:

Stars-Oilers score: Tyler Seguin ties it up

Seguin steals the puck from Leon Draisaitl and beats Stuart Skinner on a breakaway at 15:22. That ends Seguin’s 10-game goal drought and is the first goal allowed by Skinner since Game 3 of the second round.

Stars-Oilers score: Leon Draisaitl goal lifts Edmonton

The Oilers always put Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl out after the team kills a penalty, and they connect for the opening goal. Draisaitl’s shot beats Jake Oettinger to the far side at 10:19. Oilers 1, Stars 0

Stars go on power play

Brett Kulak is called for hooking. Stars power play is clicking at 30.8%. Dallas didn’t get a power-play goal in his last year’s series against the Oilers. Edmonton kills it off. No shot attempts for Dallas.

Edmonton Oilers chance

Connor McDavid uses his speed to get around the Stars defense but is stopped by Jake Oettinger. The Stars goalie stops Zach Hyman’s rebound.

Game underway

Second year in a row these teams are meeting in the conference finals. Dallas going 12 forwards, six defensemen after going recently with 11 and 7.

Starting lines

Strength vs. strength. Edmonton starting the Connor McDavid line. Dallas countering with the Mikko Rantanen line.

What time is Stars vs. Oilers NHL playoff game?

Game 1 of the NHL’s Western Conference finals between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers begins Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

How to watch Stars vs. Oilers NHL playoff game: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. local
Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas)
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo

Watch Game 1 of the Stars-Oilers series on Fubo

Dallas Stars lineup

Edmonton Oilers lineup

Connor Brown taking warmups

Brown, a game-time decision, is listed as playing on the NHL roster report.

Goaltending matchup

Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner (2-3, 3.05 goals-against average, .884 save percentage) has back-to-back shutouts. Dallas’ Jake Oettinger (8-5, 2.47, .919) has won six consecutive home games.

Stars seek better power-play numbers this year

A big factor in the Oilers’ win in the 2024 Western Conference finals: Edmonton went 14-for-14 on the penalty kill vs. Dallas. The Stars, though, enter this year’s series with the top playoff power play (30.8%) among the four conference finals teams. Roope Hintz leads the way with three power-play goals. Mikko Rantanen, who was acquired at the trade deadline, and Thomas Harley are tied with six points on the power play.

Stars still deciding defense/forward split vs. Oilers

Coach Peter DeBoer said Wednesday morning he hadn’t decided whether he’ll stick with seven defensemen and 11 forwards in games against the Oilers. He did that in the last round when Miro Heiskanen returned from injury, so the defenseman didn’t have to play big minutes right away. Forward Mikko Rantanen got double-shifted.

Oilers’ Connor Brown is game-time decision

Oilers forward Connor Brown is a game-time decision, coach Kris Knoblauch said.

If Brown (undisclosed injury) can’t go, Viktor Arvidsson would get into Game 1 after missing the past two games.

“I have no hesitation to have him in the lineup,” Knoblauch said of Arvidsson.

Western Conference finals predictions

Predictions from USA TODAY staffers:

Jason Anderson: Stars in 6. Both teams have players lighting it up on the offensive end in the postseason. Mikko Rantanen has 19 points for Dallas, while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined for 25 assists. It’s at the other end where each team has had issues, with Edmonton’s goalies combining for a .886 save percentage. The Stars have given up a whopping 408 shots in the playoffs, but Jake Oettinger has been up to the challenge, leading the league in some key underlying metrics for goaltenders. Expect plenty of goals in this series, but ultimately Dallas moves on.

Mike Brehm: Stars in 7. The Oilers are deeper than they were last season, but so are the Stars, with the additions of forwards Mikko Rantanen and Mikael Granlund. Defenseman Thomas Harley took a big jump when Miro Heiskanen was hurt, and now Heiskanen is back. This series will go the distance because Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm will return at some point. The Stars get the edge in the series finale because they’re at home, and coach Peter DeBoer is 9-0 in Game 7.

Jace Evans: Oilers in 6. Seeking to erase last season’s heartbreak, Edmonton has some team of destiny vibes. They looked completely on the ropes against the Kings in the first round only to rally in wild fashion and win six consecutive games after switching to Calvin Pickard in net. After Pickard was injured, Stuart Skinner got his job back and responded with two consecutive shutouts to oust the Golden Knights. You need some magic to win the Stanley Cup. It certainly feels like the Oilers have it. (And having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl also helps.)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Target calls price hikes a ‘very last resort’ for offsetting tariffs as sales slump

Raising prices on consumers to cover the costs of President Donald Trump’s tariffs will be Target’s ‘very last resort,’ CEO Brian Cornell said Wednesday.

The remarks came as Target reported weaker-than-expected sales in its first quarter and cut its full-year forecast. The retailer, whose business hasn’t fared as well against rivals better known for bargain prices, has “many levers to use in mitigating the impact of tariffs,” Cornell said.

Major retailers appear to be treading cautiously around the question of price hikes after Trump slammed Walmart last weekend for warning that shoppers could pay more due to tariffs. In the days since, Target, Lowe’s and Home Depot have each made carefully worded remarks about the potential for higher prices or minimized discussion of tariffs altogether.

Walmart said last week that it customers would likely start seeing some prices climb as soon as this month because tariffs have created a more “challenging environment to operate in.” While presidents typically avoid appearing to dictate individual companies’ strategies, Trump castigated Walmart on his social media platform, demanding that it “EAT THE TARIFFS” and adding, “I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!”

“We’ll keep prices as low as we can for as long as we can given the reality of small retail margins,” Walmart told NBC News Saturday in response to Trump’s post. Days later, Home Depot all but ruled out near-term price hikes, citing its scale and supply-chain arrangements. Lowe’s barely mentioned tariffs when it reported earnings Wednesday but said just 20% of what its shoppers buy now comes from China, after years of diversifying its sourcing.

For Target, Cornell emphasized that tariffs were just one factor in a series of “massive potential costs” the company is grappling with. He pointed to consumer uncertainty over the direction of the economy and a high-profile backlash over Target’s watering down of its diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The retailer had expanded those initiatives after police murdered George Floyd in its hometown, Minneapolis, five years ago this weekend.

Target has rolled out discounts over the past year to lure inflation-weary shoppers and touted plans to expand its third-party marketplace to offer a broader range of items. To deal with new trade policy challenges, it’s negotiating with vendors, reassessing its product lineup and adjusting its foreign supply chain, Chief Commercial Officer Rick Gomez told investors Wednesday.

‘Half of what we sell comes from the U.S.,’ he said, adding that Target is expanding production in the United States and in other countries outside of China, whose exports currently face a 30% import tax.

Target’s stock fell more than 5% Wednesday during a broader market sell-off.

Some major companies that sell products at leading retailers have raised prices or said they’re considering doing so, including toolmaker Stanley Black & Decker, consumer products giant Procter & Gamble, sportswear brand Adidas and toy maker Mattel.

Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls, has also come under fire from Trump, who threatened to hit it with 100% tariffs this month, after it signaled price hikes were on the table.

Big companies generally have more latitude to handle cost increases and other economic headwinds than their smaller counterparts. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and independent business owners have warned that tariffs threaten to snuff out many small operators, chipping away at the competition for already large corporate rivals.

The National Retail Federation, which represents some of the biggest retailers in the country, has emphasized that risk in lobbying against new levies. “Small and medium-sized businesses will be disproportionately affected by the tariffs, with many saying they will have to raise prices or shut down,” it says on its website.

So far, “consumers are still spending despite widespread pessimism fueled by rising tariffs,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said in a statement last week after retail sales eked out a modest 0.1% rise in April.

But even the largest multinational companies aren’t insulated from tariff-driven uncertainty, the NFR and industry analysts say. Like Target, several large firms have revised or scrapped their financial outlooks in recent weeks, unsure how the White House’s trade agenda will affect them. Nike plans to increase prices on several items between now and June 1, a person familiar with the matter told NBC News on Wednesday.

Not every retailer is voicing tariff jitters. The parent company of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls beat sales estimates Wednesday and maintained its full-year forecast. The discounter, which buys unsold merchandise from other brands that have already paid tariffs on much of it, said it expects to be able to handle the pressure from higher import taxes.

Sportswear brand Canada Goose, which makes popular winter jackets, also exceeded Wall Street expectations. But it joined the slew of companies pulling their forecasts for the rest of the year, citing an “unpredictable global trade environment.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Atlanta Braves get reinforcements in MVP and ace after ugly start

WASHINGTON — Spencer Strider climbed the mound in a major league game for the first time in 29 days, and just the second time in 13 months, and no, he was not wearing a cape.

There was no 10-gallon hat to signify a new sheriff in town, just a sleeveless dude on a chilly night aiming to fortify an Atlanta Braves roster that’s grown accustomed to not waiting around.

On this Tuesday night, Strider – a 20-game winner and 281-strikeout man just two seasons ago – was not particularly good. A month-long layoff after a right hamstring strain that followed a yearlong absence due to a second elbow reconstruction surgery will do that to a guy.

Yet it was not a particularly dire development that Strider had little command for his pitches early on, nor that his fastball averaged 95 mph, a half-tick slower than a month ago and 3 mph less than peak Strider of old.

No, Strider is not expected to be a savior. Nor is 2023 MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., who is expected back this weekend following a 12-month absence due to an ACL tear in his right knee.

See, the Braves are getting used to a by-any-means necessary ethos, which saved them from a slump-laden and injury-plagued 2024 season that ended with their seventh consecutive playoff berth, clinched on the final day of the season.

For their latest trick? How about starting the season 0-7, losing their key offseason acquisition to a PED suspension four games into the season and holding casting calls for both corner outfield spots as if they’re running a middle school play?

Yet the Braves continued workshopping solutions until they found a combination that works. If there’s a Braves Way that can define this period of sustained success, perhaps it’s the ability to take a punch – and find a way to counter.

“Being in organizations that expect to win, the biggest thing is even if your big guys are either not performing well or are hurt, no one feels sorry for themselves,” says Alex Verdugo, the former Yankee, Red Sox and Dodger signed off the unemployment line at the end of March to eventually solve their left field conundrum. “It’s having that next guy up, man. Having that mindset of constantly battling, whether it’s good at-bats, productive at-bats, getting guys over, the smaller things.

“As you do that, bigger results come from that and that’s what we’re seeing.”

Right now, the 24-24 Braves are a .500 team, but that doesn’t look too bad after seeing 0-7 and 5-13 next to their name in the standings. It is Atlanta, and so starting pitching has kept them above water even without Strider, with a National League-best 2.70 ERA led by burgeoning ace Spencer Schwellenbach.

But after two years of strange underperformance and unfortunate circumstance, the Braves remain irrepressible.

“They don’t let anything get ‘em down, I know that,” says manager Brian Snitker. “They don’t sit around and do the ‘Woe is me’ type thing. They just keep working and preparing and organizationally we did a good job in the depth.

“They seem to come together. I look at it as an opportunity for someone to do something really good. Fortunately, over the last few years, we’ve had guys do just that.”

Even if it takes a minute.

A dash of Dugie

Acuña’s loss could have spoiled each of the past two seasons. The Braves mixed and matched as best they could last year and won 89 games; this offseason, not wanting to rush Acuña’s return, they signed journeyman Bryan De La Cruz to hold things down.

And then Jurickson Profar got popped with an 80-game ban for a fertility drug.

De La Cruz and left fielder Jarred Kelenic did not rise to the occasion, to say the least. They needed just 39 combined games to produce negative-1 wins above replacement, and a quartet of left fielders before Verdugo joined the club combined for a .200/.268/.231 slash line.

Right field was almost as grim, with Kelenic’s .167/.231/.300 putridity earning the veteran a trip with De La Cruz to the minor leagues after just 23 games. Stuart Fairchild, old friend Eddie Rosario, hey, everyone come on down.

Yet Verdugo, with no spring training under his belt, made his debut April 18, batting leadoff with the club mired at 5-13, and for whatever reason, it was go time.

Atlanta won eight of 10 as Verdugo started 23 of the next 28 games; Eli White, a 31-year-old who’d received just 59 plate appearances the previous two seasons, settled into right and has produced a .783 OPS with 11 extra-base hits.

Whatever it takes.

“Dugie has come in and fit in very nicely,” says All-Star third baseman Austin Riley. “You always talk about a lineup with depth and being able to flip a lineup and get it to your middle of the order guys – and they’re doing that. Batting in the two hole, I feel like Eli’s on base a lot, Nick Allen’s on base a lot, Dugie’s on base a lot.”

Says Snitker: ‘Alex didn’t have spring training and he comes here, and it kind of coincided with us getting off the mat a little bit. When you get veteran guys like that, it helps. And you need that.”

Before April 18, Verdugo’s last game was Game 5 of the World Series, where he started in left field for the Yankees. But they turned the job over to rookie Jasson Dominguez, and everyone else decided they didn’t need his services.

But Profar’s suspension changed all that. And Verdugo appreciated a shot with yet another perennial power.

“This is a good organization and a team that just won it in ’21,” says Verdugo, 29. “They’re not too far out from being world champions, and I still feel like they hold themselves to a certain standard. A lot of guys here have contracts and have some stability, and it’s still cool to see them preparing and focusing on the things they should be to give themselves the best opportunity to win.

“All the big organizations I’ve been on, including this team, that’s what they do – they find a way to win that day.”

Not fade away

The Braves should want for very little very soon.

Acuña is hitting 420-foot home runs on his rehab assignment and should be back in time for the Braves’ return to Truist Field this weekend against San Diego. Strider beat him to it, though giving up four runs in 5 ⅓ innings – including a home run and two hit batters – was far from a glorious return for the notorious perfectionist.

“I take no joy,” he says Tuesday night, “in not giving us a chance.”

Still, he returns to a club well within the NL East race, with the rival Mets and Phillies confronting issues of their own. There’s still plenty to play for as the weather warms up and Strider presumably adds some more fuzz to his fastball.

“I think they were forced to acknowledge where they were, and obviously they weren’t happy with it and credit to them for remaining confident and seeking out solutions and trying to get better,” says Strider. “And you know, it takes time. It’s not like one day everything just magically got better for everybody. So that came from deliberate work.

“That’s an amazing testament to those guys and what they were able to do and where they put themselves now.”

With an MVP return just around the corner.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Stars vs. Oilers live updates: Time, how to watch

The Dallas Stars host the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in what figures to be a thrilling NHL playoff series.

The playoffs haven’t been easy for Dallas, which survived a seven-game battle with the Colorado Avalanche and then saw off the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets in six. Winger Mikko Rantanen, who came to the Stars at the trade deadline, leads all players with nine goals and 19 points, while goalie Jake Oettinger has stood tall despite facing 102 more shots than anyone else in these playoffs.

For Edmonton, everything may be coming together at a perfect moment. The Oilers were down 2-0 in the first round, but have since won eight of nine to eliminate the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined for 25 assists for a team that has weaponized its outstanding team speed to earn this shot at a Stanley Cup Final berth.

Here’s what to know about Game 1 of the Western Conference finals between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers, including how to watch:

What time is Stars vs. Oilers NHL playoff game?

Game 1 of the NHL’s Western Conference finals between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers begins Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

How to watch Stars vs. Oilers NHL playoff game: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. local
Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas)
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo

Watch Game 1 of the Stars-Oilers series on Fubo

Stars still deciding defense/forward split vs. Oilers

Coach Peter DeBoer said Wednesday morning he hadn’t decided whether he’ll stick with seven defensemen and 11 forwards in games against the Oilers. He did that in the last round when Miro Heiskanen returned from injury, so the defenseman didn’t have to play big minutes right away. Forward Mikko Rantanen got double-shifted.

Oilers’ Connor Brown is game-time decision

Oilers forward Connor Brown is a game-time decision, coach Kris Knoblauch said.

If Brown (undisclosed injury) can’t go, Viktor Arvidsson would get into Game 1 after missing the past two games.

“I have no hesitation to have him in the lineup,” Knoblauch said of Arvidsson.

Western Conference finals predictions

Predictions from USA TODAY staffers:

Jason Anderson: Stars in 6. Both teams have players lighting it up on the offensive end in the postseason. Mikko Rantanen has 19 points for Dallas, while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined for 25 assists. It’s at the other end where each team has had issues, with Edmonton’s goalies combining for a .886 save percentage. The Stars have given up a whopping 408 shots in the playoffs, but Jake Oettinger has been up to the challenge, leading the league in some key underlying metrics for goaltenders. Expect plenty of goals in this series, but ultimately Dallas moves on.

Mike Brehm: Stars in 7. The Oilers are deeper than they were last season, but so are the Stars, with the additions of forwards Mikko Rantanen and Mikael Granlund. Defenseman Thomas Harley took a big jump when Miro Heiskanen was hurt, and now Heiskanen is back. This series will go the distance because Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm will return at some point. The Stars get the edge in the series finale because they’re at home, and coach Peter DeBoer is 9-0 in Game 7.

Jace Evans: Oilers in 6. Seeking to erase last season’s heartbreak, Edmonton has some team of destiny vibes. They looked completely on the ropes against the Kings in the first round only to rally in wild fashion and win six consecutive games after switching to Calvin Pickard in net. After Pickard was injured, Stuart Skinner got his job back and responded with two consecutive shutouts to oust the Golden Knights. You need some magic to win the Stanley Cup. It certainly feels like the Oilers have it. (And having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl also helps.)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Man charged for giving alcohol to Pirates fan who fell from stands

A man now faces criminal charges for allegedly providing alcohol to an underage Pittsburgh Pirates fan who suffered major injuries after falling 21 feet from the stands during a Major League Baseball game at PNC Park last month.

The dramatic fall, captured on video, took place during the bottom of the seventh inning when Kavan Markwood, 20, tumbled over the railing in right field while celebrating Andrew McCutchen’s April 30 go-ahead double, USA TODAY previously reported..

His friend, Ethan H. Kirkwood, 21, was charged May 20 with two counts of furnishing liquor or malt beverage in connection to the incident, Allegheny County online criminal case records show.

Both men are from the city of McKeesport, a suburb about a 25-minute drive southeast of downtown Pittsburgh.

A video circulating on social media after the fall shows Markwood sitting in the front row of seats before he tumbled over the top rail and fell to the dirt below.

The fall took place from one of the highest stretches of seats in the outfield − the tallest fence in the outfield is right field at 21 feet, per the Pirates, in honor of Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, who wore the number and manned right field.

Hospitalized after the accident, in a May 7 interview Markwood told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review he had ‘broken everything.’

Context behind every viral moment: Sign up for USA TODAY’s Everyone’s Talking newsletter.

Did the Pittsburgh Pirate fan who fell survive?

Markwood was a 2022 graduate of South Allegheny High School, according to a South Allegheny School District spokesperson.

‘I can’t really sleep,’ he told TribLive.com. ‘I have a lot of back pain.”

According to an online fundraiser created by his girlfriend’s mom, Jennifer Phillip, she wrote Markwood broke his neck, clavicle, and back.

‘But he’s showing real strength, and we’re staying hopeful for a smooth recovery,’ Phillip wrote on the fundraising page on May 6.

As of May 21, the page had raised more than $67,000 to help Markwood.

The Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety previously reported the fall was ‘being treated as accidental.’

Friend charged for giving beer to fan who fell due in court in June

Kirkwood was not listed online as an inmate at the Allegheny County Jail on May 21.

It was not immediately known whether he had obtained legal counsel.

Kirkwood is slated to appear before a magistrate in District Court for a preliminary hearing on the charge on June 23, his case records show.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealu

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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GOP outperformed Dems on voter registration in key battleground states, new analysis reveals

Republicans outperformed Democrats on voter registration in four key battleground states between the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, according to research by the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC). 

The bipartisan political consultant non-profit teamed up with analysts from Data Trust, a conservative organization, and Target Smart, which has aligned with Democrats in past election cycles. Compiling data from the 2020 and 2024 elections in Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada and Pennsylvania, the research suggests a national shift in voter registration toward the Republican Party.

‘We wanted a bipartisan analysis because there are so many conventional wisdoms this election challenged,’ Larry Huynh of Trilogy Interactive andDemocrat AAPC Board President said. ‘The data was pretty clear that the Democrats were caught off guard with voter registration and turnout efforts and failed to mount a sufficiently compelling counter-effort to compete. We should all learn from this and take a deeper dive into our voter registration and turnout operations.’

AAPC unveiled the research this week during the 2025 Pollie Awards, a political communications awards program, in Colorado Springs, Colo. 

‘The Trump campaign and the Republican Party deserve considerable recognition for their voter registration success and turnout efforts and the party should try to build on these successes,’ Kyle Roberts of AdImpact and the incoming Republican AAPC Board President told Fox News Digital. 

From 2020 to 2024, the bipartisan political analysis found the share of registered Democrat voters dropped in all four battleground states. Meanwhile, the share of registered unaffiliated and Republican voters increased in Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada and Pennsylvania, according to the data compiled by Data Trust and Target Smart. 

In three out of four of the states analyzed, unaffiliated voters accounted for the largest electoral increase. Democrats saw the largest electoral drop between 2020 and 2024 across the four battleground states, following the same trend as voter registration. 

Voter turnout across party lines dropped in three out of the four battleground states analyzed, the data revealed. And while Democrat turnout dropped more than Republican turnout in those three states, the difference was less than a percentage point in every state but Arizona. 

Data Trust and Target Smart also analyzed trends across demographic groups, including Black, Hispanic and rural voters. The overall increase in Republican registration, turnout and electoral growth was consistent across the demographic groups analyzed. 

President Donald Trump won all seven battleground states in 2024 – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Republicans maintained control of the House of Representatives and won back the Senate. 

70% of voters believed the country was on the wrong track and wanted change in the 2024 presidential election, according to Fox News Voter Analysis. The economy and immigration were top issues as Trump tied inflation to President Joe Biden’s administration and vowed to secure the border on his first day in office. 

As AAPC seeks to analyze Republicans’ inroads with swing state voters in 2024, Democrats are facing their own reckoning this week as a new book reveals the alleged ‘cover-up’ of Biden’s cognitive decline. 

CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson’s book, ‘Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,’ released on Tuesday, paints an unflattering picture of Democrats’ losses in 2024. 

While political commentators focus on what Democrats did wrong in 2024, AAPC’s new data reveals what Republicans did right on voter registration and turnout. 

The Republican National Committee (RNC) opened ‘Black Americans for Trump’ and ‘Latino Americans for Trump’ offices across the battleground states in 2024, seeking to expand their reach among traditionally Democrat voting blocs. 

Over 160,000 volunteers joined the RNC’s ‘Protect the Vote’ efforts on election integrity in 2024, which included more than 100 lawsuits and recruiting poll watchers across the country. Seizing on Republicans’ election distrust following Trump’s loss in 2020, the RNC built a coalition of supporters across the country that propelled voters to the polls and landed Trump a win in 2024. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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A man once sued by the SEC wins Trump crypto contest to have dinner with the president

We now know who won the contest to attend an intimate dinner with President Donald Trump by buying his cryptocurrency — and he’s a familiar face to Securities and Exchange Commission regulators and law enforcement officials.

Justin Sun, a Chinese-born crypto entrepreneur, confirmed in an X post Tuesday that he was behind the account, labeled ‘SUN,’ that purchased the most $TRUMP meme coin to sit at the president’s table at a crypto-focused gala scheduled for Thursday.

‘Honored to support @POTUS and grateful for the invitation from @GetTrumpMemes to attend President Trump’s Gala Dinner as his TOP fan!’ Sun wrote. ‘As the top holder of $TRUMP, I’m excited to connect with everyone, talk crypto, and discuss the future of our industry.’

He capped the post with an American flag emoji.

Critics have blasted the dinner contest as potentially unconstitutional and a blatant opportunity for corruption. Trump has not publicly commented on the accusations, and the Office of Government Ethics has declined to comment. A White House official did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

The Trump administration is not directly involved in administering $TRUMP coin. As for the dinner, a White House official said in a statement that the president ‘is working to secure GOOD deals for the American people, not for himself.’

‘President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public — which is why they overwhelmingly re-elected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.

While Trump has not been as aggressive in directly promoting cryptocurrencies as some campaign backers in the industry had hoped, his administration has abandoned or paused many pending cases that had been brought against crypto entrepreneurs and businesses.

That includes Sun, who was charged in 2023 with market manipulation and offering unregistered securities. Regulators sought various injunctions against him that would have largely prevented him from participating in crypto in the U.S. The Verge, a tech industry website, had also reported Sun was the target of an FBI investigation.

But in February, the SEC, now controlled by Trump appointees, agreed to a 60-day pause of the suit in order to seek a resolution.

Two months earlier, Sun purchased $30 million in crypto tokens from World Liberty Financial (WLF), the crypto venture backed by Trump and his family, the website Popular Information reported.

Eventually, Sun became the largest publicly known investor in World Liberty after he brought his funding total to $75 million.

According to Bloomberg News, per the terms of World Liberty’s financial structure, 75% of the proceeds of token sales like Sun’s get sent to the Trump family as a fee — meaning they may have directly earned as much as $56 million.

On Jan. 22 — two days after Trump was inaugurated — Sun posted on X, “if I have made any money in cryptocurrency, all credit goes to President Trump.”

In April, The Wall Street Journal reported that Joe Biden’s Justice Department had been investigating Sun, noting that researchers had estimated that more than half of all illicit crypto activity took place on Sun’s Tron blockchain platform. The Journal said it wasn’t clear whether the investigation was ongoing. It said Sun’s representatives declined to comment about what they called “baseless allegations about legal matters” while denying Tron enables criminal activity.

Sun may now be a multibillionaire, with a net worth estimated at $8.5 billion, according to Forbes. He reportedly was forced to spend $2 billion to shore up one of his crypto firms that was facing collapse in 2022.

He did not immediately respond to a request for comment about what he hoped to get out of the dinner with the president.

Sun has also earned headlines for purchasing ‘Comedian,’ an art installation composed of a banana duct-taped to a wall, for $6.2 million, and for buying lunch with Warren Buffett for $4.57 million.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Journalism, Sovereignty rematch at Belmont remains possible

A rematch between Preakness Stakes winner Journalism and Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty could be in the offing at the Belmont Stakes on June 7.

Sovereignty, who beat Journalism by 1 1/2 lengths in the Derby on May 3, didn’t race at the Preakness in Baltimore last Saturday, with his handlers instead choosing to ready him for the Belmont.

He is in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., training for the final leg of the Triple Crown. The race will be held at the upstate Saratoga Race Course for a second consecutive year as reconstruction continue at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

No decision has been made yet about Journalism’s status for the Belmont, but owners are considering a run.

‘We have the utmost respect for Sovereignty. He beat us on the square in the Kentucky Derby,’ Aron Wellman, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners president and founder, told the New York Racing Association. ‘As much as we would love to square off again with Sovereignty, it doesn’t factor into our ultimate determination of whether Journalism runs in the Belmont or not.

‘We would like to be in position to run in the Belmont, but it will all be contingent on Journalism and what signs he’s showing us and (trainer) Michael McCarthy. It will totally be deferred to Michael McCarthy on whether or not he feels comfortable coming back on another three-week turnaround.’

Other horses that could compete in the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont include Rodriguez, winner of the Wood Memorial; Preakness runner-up Gosger; Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Baeza; Peter Pan winner Hill Road; and Heart of Honor, who finished fifth in the Preakness.

–Field Level Media

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NFL fails to ban the ‘Tush Push’

After all the fanfare and debates, the NFL owners have ruled the league can keep on pushing. The ‘Tush Push’ play is here to stay.

The league officially failed to ban the ‘Tush Push’ on Wednesday, after the proposal did not receive enough support in a vote by the owners. League rules dictate that at least 24 of the 32 teams had to be in favor of the move.

The final tally ended two teams short, with 22 teams voting in favor of a ban and 10 teams electing to allow the play to live on – with the New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions and New England Patriots among the teams that sided with the Eagles, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

It was a rule change that appeared to be a guarantee heading into Wednesday’s session, which was attended by Jason Kelce, who played an informational role in the process.

The Eagles celebrated the decision on social media, with a simple ‘Push On’ posted on X.

Any attempt to ban or limit the play has been controversial in NFL circles. The Green Bay Packers initially proposed the idea at the NFL league meetings in April, when it was revealed they didn’t have enough support at the time and would table the discussion until May.

The Packers submitted a revised proposal to ban the play earlier this week. In the updated proposal’s language, no offensive player may ‘push or pull a runner in any direction at any time or lift him to his feet.’ The Packers also eliminated ‘immediately at the snap’ in the updated language.

The ‘Tush Push’ was a play made famous by the Philadelphia Eagles, who perfected the process following head coach Nick Sirianni’s arrival in 2021. However, the play’s origins date back to 2018, when Anthony Barr of the Minnesota Vikings was captured in a mic’d up moment talking through the strategy.

Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce and the Eagles used the concept to make most short-yardage situations nearly automatic.

Depending on your perspective, the play resembles a rugby scrum and is not a football play or a quarterback sneak that rarely fails.

Many teams have tried to mirror the Eagles and their ability to convert at a high level, but that hasn’t been the case for most.

Despite that reality, the Packers pushed for a ban. The team’s president, Mark Murphy, spoke back in April about his optimism surrounding the potential ban despite the tabling of talks.

‘I think it ended up in a good place,’ Murphy said in an interview with the Packers’ YouTube channel. ‘We ended up tabling it but we had really good discussions. Talked a little bit about our safety concerns regarding the play, just kind of the style of the play. But good interaction with the league. So it’ll be tabled. And then what we’re going to do is, it’ll be voted on in the May meeting.’

Most opposition, including Murphy, to the ‘Tush Push’ has pointed to a previous rule that said you can’t push or pull players. According to NFL Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay, it was too hard for officials to officiate, which is why the rule was done away with in 2005.

Considering how close the league got to banning the ‘Tush Push’ this offseason, it seems likely that there will be more challenges in the future.

For now, the Eagles’ infamous play lives to fight another day.

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Former NBA All-Star reveals cause of son’s fiery Cybertruck crash

Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas said his son is ‘lucky’ to be alive after being trapped for 10 minutes inside a burning car last month.

On the ‘All the Smoke’ podcast, the 11-year NBA veteran said his son Alijah – a McDonald’s high school All-American who has committed to Southern California – crashed his Cybertruck into a fire hydrant and a tree due to a steering wheel malfunction.

Arenas went into detail about the frightening situation that resulted when the Tesla caught fire and Alijah was unable to escape because the doors were locked and he couldn’t break the vehicle’s bulletproof windows.

‘He’s on the phone with 9-1-1 – I’m trying to get that call – he’s on the phone with them for 10 minutes, so I know he was at least in the car for 10 minutes,’ Arenas told co-host Matt Barnes. ‘If you are a parent and your teen has this car, you might want to put a hammer in that joint, something that can break the window. Because physically, he said he was trying to kick the window in and couldn’t.’

Arenas’ son was pulled from the Cybertruck by some bystanders and taken to the hospital, where he was put into an induced coma overnight. He eventually recovered and was released from the hospital a week later.

‘When he got home we had flowers for him. And I gave him that speech. ‘You’re a lucky one to see this. Most people don’t get to see the flowers and how everyone reacts when something happens,” Arenas recalled. 

Alijah Arenas, 18, is a five-star guard at Chatsworth (California) High School. He announced in January that he would commit to USC after his senior year concludes. 

GIlbert Arenas played 11 seasons in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies. He was a three-time All-Star with Washington and a three-time All-NBA selection from 2005-2007.

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