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Dick Vitale gets emotional on air talking about cancer battle

ESPN announcer Dick Vitale got emotional as he reflected on his cancer battle while calling the Duke-Louisville ACC championship game on Saturday night.

Since being treated for melanoma in 2021, Vitale, 85, has been diagnosed with and treated for lymphoma, pre-cancerous dysplasia, ulcerous lesions, a lymph node on his neck and cancer that was discovered on his vocal cords. He posted recently that he underwent five major surgeries on his vocal cords, 65 radiation treatments and six months of chemotherapy.

After being declared cancer-free, returned to the booth on Feb. 8 for the first time in nearly two years.

The Hall of Famer, though, said Saturday this was his last broadcast this season but he hopes to return next season.

‘It’s a miracle, really, to sit here with you guys,’ he said of Dave O’Brien and Cory Alexander. ‘I can’t tell you how much it meant to me. It’s been unbelievable.

‘It’s been tough for years. Those four cancer battles, I don’t wish on anybody. Cancer sucks, I’ll tell you this, anybody battling cancer, please listen, ‘Think positively, always, and have faith and believe.’ And if there’s a person who knows someone with cancer, send them a text message. Make a phone call. The bottom line, it means so much.

‘I know it meant a lot to me in my darkest moment when I was in the hospital doing chemo and I had a bad, bad day. Man, it was a tough, tough time, and I had to stay overnight. My family left and I ended up crying like crazy and the nurse came in and she cheered me up. And I went to my phone and on my phone were messages from all over the country.’

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Duke rallies to beat Louisville for ACC championship: Highlights

It turns out that Duke men’s basketball is more than freshman sensation Cooper Flagg.

Without the likely No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, the Blue Devils defeated Louisville 73-62 in the ACC tournament championship game on Saturday at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Duke overcame a five-point first-half deficit to outscore the Cardinals 40-24 in the second half.

Watch Duke vs. Louisville live with Fubo (free trial)

Tyrese Proctor led Duke with 19 points on six 3-pointers, a new career-high. Kon Knueppel added 16 points and eight rebounds, while Sion James finished with 15 points.

The Blue Devils limited Louisville to 25.7% shooting in the second half, despite a 29-point effort from Terrence Edwards Jr. Chucky Hepburn was limited to 14 points on 5 of 16 shooting.

Duke has won a league-best 23 conference tournament championships, including two in the last three seasons. The Cardinals, who joined the ACC in 2014, have never won an ACC tournament. Duke leads the all-time series 17-9 vs. Louisville, including seven consecutive wins.

Duke and Louisville each earned double-byes in the tournament after finishing as the top two teams in the conference during the regular season. The Blue Devils defeated Georgia Tech (78-70) and North Carolina (74-71), while the Cardinals have wins over Stanford (75-73) and No. 10 Clemson (76-73) to advance to the championship.

The Blue Devils have won a league-best 22 conference tournament championships, including in 2023. The Cardinals, which joined the ACC in 2014, have never won an ACC tournament.

Check out all the scores, updates and highlights from the Duke-Louisville ACC basketball tournament championship game:

Duke vs Louisville score updates

This section will be updated when the game begins.

Duke vs Louisville live updates

Final: Duke 73, Louisville 62

Duke wins ACC tournament championship

Duke is the ACC tournament champion for the 23rd time in program history. The Blue Devils outscored Louisville 40-24 in the second half to pull out a 73-62 win despite being without freshman sensation Cooper Flagg.

With the win and Auburn’s loss to Tennessee in the SEC tournament semifinal, the Blue Devils could have clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke is dominating without Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg might be the best player in the nation. But his absence has not stopped the Blue Devils from dominating the second half of the ACC championship game. Duke leads 68-55 with 4:05 left at the final media timeout.

Duke has outscored Louisville 35-17 in the second half. The Cardinals are shooting 6 of 26 (23.1%) in the second half.

Duke in complete control of ACC championship game

The Blue Devils hold an 11-point lead at 62-51 with 7:56 left at the under-8 media timeout. After allowing Louisville to shoot 55% from the field in the first half, the Cardinals have been limited to 23.8% in the second half.

Tyrese Proctor has three second-half 3-pointers and six for the game, which is a career high. He leads Duke with 18 points. Terrence Edwards continues to lead all scorers with 24 points. The rest of the Cardinals have only 27 points. 

Duke on 12-0 run, lead by double digits

Tyrese Proctor is finding his stroke and now the Duke run is at 12-0. The Blue Devils hold the largest lead of the game at 57-47 with 11:08 left in the game. 

Duke is shooting 9 of 20 from 3-point range and has hit four in the second half.

Duke retakes control of ACC championship game

The Blue Devils have their biggest lead of the game at 52-47 with 12:23 left in the game following a 7-0 run. Sion James hit a 3-pointer to push the lead to five and force a Louisville timeout. James is up to 13 points, with 10 coming in the second half.

Duke has outscored Louisville 19-9 in the second half.

Sion James ties the game at 45

With 14:28 left in the championship game, it’s tied 45-45 after Sion James hits a 3-pointer. Louisville’s five-point halftime lead is gone. The game has now featured eight lead changes and seven ties.

Halftime: Louisville 38, Duke 33

Louisville leads Duke at halftime of ACC tournament championship game

The Cardinals ended the first half on a 7-0 run and holds a 38-33 halftime lead. Terrence Edwards Jr. has 15 points to lead all scorers on 6 of 12 shooting and is 3 of 5 from 3-point range. The Cardinals are shooting 55.2% from the field and 41.7% from 3-point range.

Duke is shooting 42.9% from the field and ended the first half on a scoring drought of two minutes and 15 seconds. Despite leading for 12 minutes of the first half, the Blue Devils’ largest lead was just two points.

Louisville takes largest lead of first half

A 7-0 run by Louisville forces Duke to call a timeout with 22 seconds remaining in the half. The Cardinals have their largest lead of the game at 38-33. Terrence Edwards Jr. is up to 15 points.

Terrence Edwards Jr. ties game with 3-pointer

Louisville’s Terrence Edwards hits a 3-pointer to even the score 28-28. We have reached the under-4 media timeout with both teams playing each other even so far.

Edwards has a game-high 10 points. Tyrese Proctor leads the Blue Devils with nine points, all of them coming on 3-pointers. Both teams have shot a combined five free throws through the first 16-plus minutes.

Duke leading for most of first half

Duke has continued to lead for much of the first half and holds a 23-21 lead with 7:43 left in the first half at the under-8 timeout. Duke is shooting 50% from the field, while Louisville is shooting 56.3%. The Cardinals have turned the ball over six times, however.

Noah Waterman called for a flagrant-1 foul

Louisville’s Noah Waterman is called for a flagrant foul after running into Patrick Ngongba. The foul on Waterman was elevated after a review.

Duke maintains lead over Louisville

Noah Waterman called for a flagrant-one foul

Louisville’s Noah Waterman is called for a flagrant foul after running into Patrick Ngongba. The foul on Waterman was elevated after a review.

Isaiah Evans has knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and the Blue Devils lead 17-15 at the under-12 media timeout with 11:51 left in the first half. Hepburn still leads the way with seven points for Louisville.

The Cardinals have already turned the ball over three times and allowed five points off them. Louisville is shooting 60% from the field early on, while Duke is at 50%.

Duke jumps out to an early lead

Duke leads 8-7 at the first media timeout with 15:47 left in the first half. Khaman Maluach has a pair of dunks for the Blue Devils. Chucky Hepburn has all seven points so far for the Cardinals. 

Pregame

Starting lineups for Duke, Louisville in ACC tournament championship game

Here’s a look at the starting lineups for both Duke and Louisville in the ACC tournament championship game:

Duke

G: Isaiah Evans
G: Tyrese Proctor
G: Kon Knueppel
G: Sion James
C: Khaman Maluach

Louisville:

G: J’Vonne Hadley
G: Terrence Edwards Jr.
G: Chucky Hepburn
F: James Scott
F: Noah Waterman

Cooper Flagg injury update

Duke freshman sensation Cooper Flagg is out for today’s ACC championship game after sustaining an ankle injury against Georgia Tech in the quarterfinals. Duke is hopeful, however, that Flagg will be healthy for the NCAA tournament, as NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt told CBS Sports.

‘What we understand from communication with Duke and the ACC is that Cooper Flagg will be available for the NCAA Tournament,’ Gavitt said to CBS. ‘So, don’t expect that to impact their seeding. He is not the only significant injury we are tracking. … player availability is always a concern and a consideration.’

Duke vs Louisville time today

Date: Saturday, March 15 
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET 
Location: Spectrum Center (Charlotte, N.C.)

The 2025 men’s ACC basketball tournament championship game between the Blue Devils and Cardinals will be played at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday, March 15.

What channel is Duke vs Louisville game on today?

TV channel: ESPN
Streaming options: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)

The 2025 men’s ACC tournament championship game between Duke and Louisville will be broadcast on ESPN. Streaming options include the ESPN app (with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Duke vs Louisville history

Series record: Duke leads, 16-9
Duke’s last win: Dec. 8, 2024 (76-65)
Louisville’s last win: Feb. 27, 2021 (80-73)

Duke vs Louisville predictions

‘The Cardinals are experiencing a revival, but the Blue Devils are the standard this season. Duke will once again show off its depth before climbing the ladder to celebrate a championship.’

Duke vs Louisville basketball betting odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday, March 15:

Spread: Duke (-6.5)
Over/under: 147.5
Moneyline: Duke (-275) | Louisville (+220)

Duke men’s basketball schedule 2024-25

Here’s a look at Duke’s last five results. To view the Blue Devils’ full 2024-25 schedule, click here.

Saturday, March 1: No. 2 Duke 100, Florida State 65
Monday, March 3: No. 2 Duke 93, Wake Forest 60
Saturday, March 8: No. 2 Duke 82, North Carolina 69
Thursday, March 13: No. 1 Duke 78, Georgia Tech 70 (ACC Tournament)
Friday, March 14: No. 1 Duke 74, North Carolina 71 (ACC Tournament)

Louisville men’s basketball schedule 2024-25

Saturday, March 1: No. 17 Louisville 79, Pitt 68
Wednesday, March 5: No. 13 Louisville 85, Cal 68
Saturday, March 8: No. 13 Louisville 68, Stanford 48
Thursday, March 13: No. 13 Louisville 75, Stanford 73 (ACC Tournament)
Friday, March 14: No. 13 Louisville 76, No. 10 Clemson 73 (ACC Tournament)

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How Colorado State’s conference tourney title shakes up March Madness

The Rams lit it up from behind the arc Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas to beat Boise State in the Mountain West championship game and lock up the automatic bid in March Madness, a stunning run for a team that wasn’t projected to make the tournament a few weeks ago.

Entering the conference tournament on a seven-game winning streak, Colorado State needed a big weekend to continue the momentum toward clinching a tournament spot, likely needing to win the crown to erase any doubt. After a comfortable win over Nevada and taking down tournament-bound Utah State, the Rams faced a Boise State team also trying to play its way out of the bubble.

But the Broncos couldn’t stop the 3-pointers. Of Colorado State’s 22 made shots, 12 came from 3-point land, dealing major blows to Boise State since it couldn’t keep up with the pace. The Rams took a big lead early in the second half and cruised toward a 69-56 victory.

How Colorado State win affects NCAA Tournament

A bid has been stolen as teams on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament will feel the effects of Colorado State’s win. In the latest USA TODAY Sports Bracketology, Colorado State was among the first four teams out, and given the not ideal NET ranking of No. 50 and 1-5 Quad 1 record entering the day, it was going to have a tough case toward making the bracket without the automatic bid.

Now with a spot in the NCAA Tournament guaranteed, the Rams will jump over the rest of the bubble teams and assure themselves a spot in the first round. While it won’t be a great seed − likely a No. 10 or 11 − it’s better than having to hope to get in or having to play in the First Four.

The teams that will be sweating even more now are San Diego State, Texas, North Carolina and Boise State, which were the last teams projected to make the field before Colorado State’s conference title. One team will be pushed out of the field by Colorado State, and it could result in a team like Vanderbilt being pushed down and having to play in the First Four to get into the first round.

For teams like Xavier, Indiana and Ohio State, among the first teams projected to miss the field, it gives an even more grim outlook on Selection Sunday, as the case to make the tournament becomes even harder.

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Trump, Putin call expected this week, as admin edges closer to Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal: Witkoff

U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said Sunday that President Donald Trump will likely speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week. 

In an appearance on CNN’s ‘State of the Union,’ Witkoff was asked when a deal to end the war in Ukraine could be anticipated. 

‘The president uses the timeframe weeks, and I don’t disagree with him. I am really hopeful that we’re going to see some real progress here,’ Witkoff said. ‘Nobody expected progress this fast. This is a highly, very complicated situation, and yet we’re bridging the gap between two sides. So, lots of things that remain to be discussed, but I think the two presidents are going to have a really good and positive discussion this week.’ 

Trump’s special envoy met with Putin in Moscow on Thursday, days after U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia agreed to the terms of a potential ceasefire with Russia. 

Witkoff said he met with Putin for between three and four hours and had a ‘positive’ and ‘solution-based’ discussion. 

‘Before this visit, there was another visit, and before that visit, the two sides were miles apart,’ Witkoff told CNN host Jake Tapper. ‘The two sides are, today, a lot closer. We had some really positive results coming out of the Saudi Arabia discussion led by our national security advisor, Mike Waltz, and our secretary of state, Marco Rubio.’ 

‘I describe my conversation with President Putin as equally positive,’ Witkoff said. ‘The two sides have… we’ve narrowed the differences between them, and now we’re sitting at the table. I was with the president all day yesterday, I’ll be with him today, we’re sitting with him, discussing how to narrow it even further.’  

It was the second time Witkoff had met with Putin in the last month. The first sit-down in mid-February resulted in the Russians releasing U.S. prisoner Marc Fogel. 

Witkoff said he briefed Trump, Vice President JD Vance, chief of staff Susie Wiles and Waltz from the U.S. embassy within five to 10 minutes of meeting with Putin last week. 

‘President Trump has been involved in every aspect and dimension of these discussions,’ Witkoff said. ‘The president is getting updates in real time on everything that’s happening, and he’s involved in every important decision here. I expect that there will be a call with both presidents this week, and we’re also continuing to engage and have conversations with the Ukrainians. We’re advising them on everything we’re thinking about.’ 

‘The four regions are of critical importance here,’ Witkoff said of the terms of the deal. ‘And we’re in discussions with Ukraine, we’re in discussions with all these stakeholder European countries, so that includes France, Britain, Norway, Finland… the whole host.… And we’re in discussions with the Russians too about those regions. We’re also in discussion with all other elements that would be encompassed in a ceasefire.’ 

 Witkoff flew to Moscow last week from Doha, Qatar, where he mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a potential extension of their ceasefire agreement. 

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Learning from Joe Lieberman to repair the American breach

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This March 17 will be the ‘yahrzeit’ of Sen. Joe Lieberman’s unexpected death in 2024, a time in Jewish tradition when family members recite the mourners’ kaddish prayer and light candles in memory of their loved one.

Those of us who knew Joe Lieberman continue to mourn his passing and miss his smile and decency.  When we have gathered at memorial services and early screenings of ‘Centered,’ a new documentary which chronicles his life, we always express the wish that there were more leaders like him in today’s harsh political environment. (‘Centered’ will be in Regal Cinemas nationwide on March 18 and 19.)

That yearning for comity was accentuated by the partisan atmosphere in the House of Representatives for President Donald Trump’s recent address to a joint session of Congress. We could debate which party or its leaders are more guilty of polluting the public square these days, but that would defeat the purpose of arguing for better behavior from both sides. The political divide (a worrisome ‘gulf of America’) leaves us inches away from stalemate, and mere feet from chaos. 

While Joe Lieberman can no longer speak up on behalf of civility in politics, he left us plenty of examples:

When he gave the Democratic response to President Ronald Reagan’s last radio address in 1989, Lieberman did not abuse the opportunity to settle political scores. ‘Your love of this country and your fervent devotion to freedom inspired us all,’ the new Democratic senator said of the Republican president.

In 1991, rather than join most Democrats to oppose the use of force after Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, Lieberman became the lead Democratic co-sponsor of the resolution authorizing the first (and successful) Gulf War.

Working across the aisle with senators like John McCain, Lieberman advocated for the 9/11 Commission to investigate the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001, and Arlen Specter for creation of the Department of Homeland Security.

He often joined with Republican Sen. Bob Dole in urging both Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton to take a more active role in defending Bosnia from Serbian aggression.

And Lieberman collaborated with leaders in both parties to speak out against the plight of inappropriate content in video games, music and television programs, which helped lead to the creation of ratings systems that give parents more power to discern what is best for their children.

Throughout his life, Lieberman’s advocacy of harmony and good will found expression in his fervent support for civil and human rights, from traveling to Mississippi as a student advocating voting rights to his leadership in ending the discriminatory ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy in the military and to his commitment to a cleaner environment (the latter two efforts also involved cross-party cooperation).

The senator’s many public expressions of cordiality towards people of either or no political party were matched by his behavior in private. As staffers who worked with him beginning more than 45 years ago, through many crises and controversies (rarely of his own making), we can testify to his humor, equanimity and good will. We never heard him raise his voice, even in the most tense and tumultuous of circumstances.

Joe Lieberman’s calm demeanor should not be mistaken for a milquetoast career, however. In the course of the work cited above, and many more, he was friendly, but forthright; decent, but determined. 

Thanks in good measure to his faith in God and fervent religious beliefs, he had a strong moral compass that almost always pointed him in the right direction for the betterment of society. If he fell short on rare occasions, it was never from base motives or weak principles. He was, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, a ‘repairer of the breach,’ not a source of division.

As nearly lifelong believers in the leadership of Joe Lieberman, we cannot help but feel that America and the world would have been better off if he and Al Gore had succeeded in the 2000 election. But even in the wake of that enormous – and enormously disappointing – setback in his life, Lieberman showed the same kind of grace and optimism that characterized his whole life:

‘America is a great country,’ he said on the floor of the Senate the day after Vice President Gore conceded the election to George W. Bush. ‘I do think that every one of us should be grateful this morning that here in America we work out our differences not with civil wars, but with spirited elections.’

‘It is time now for all of us to come together in support of these United States and the shared values that have long sustained us,’ he continued. ‘Psalm 30 assures us that weeping may linger for the night, but in the morning, there are shouts of joy.’

Our sorrow over the loss of Joe Lieberman has lingered through the long night of his absence from our lives and politics – never more than at this yahrzeit of his passing – but we are encouraged by his stirring words and sterling example to find hope for shouts of joy once again..

Jim Kennedy is a former spokesman for Joe Lieberman, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, the Clinton Foundation, Sony Pictures, Sony Corporation of America and News Corp. He publishes occasional columns on Substack.

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Karoline Leavitt says she won’t attend White House Correspondents’ Association dinner

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she is skipping the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner slated for April 26. 

Leavitt made the announcement during a podcast appearance with Sean Spicer, who served as President Donald Trump’s White House press secretary for the first six months of 2017. 

‘I will not be in attendance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and that’s breaking news for ‘The Sean Spicer Show,’’ Leavitt said. 

Leavitt said the WHCA ‘has truly become a monetized monopoly over the White House and the coverage of the president of the United States in America.’ 

‘This is a group of journalists who’ve been covering the White House for decades,’ she said on the podcast published Friday. ‘They started this organization because the presidents at the time were not doing enough press conferences. I don’t think we have that problem anymore under this president, so the priorities of the media have shifted, especially with this new digital age.’ 

Leavitt said the WHCA has been an ‘exclusive group of journalists who cover this White House, they have not really welcomed other people, new media, independent journalists, with open arms, and so we thought it was time to expand the coverage and determine who gets to be part of that 13-person press pool, who gets to ask the president of the United States questions in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One.’ 

‘Since we have started this new process of determining the daily rotation, so many new voices and outlets who have never been part of this small and privileged group of journalists have been able to access those very unique and privileged spaces and cover this presidency and that’s very important,’ Leavitt added, revealing that the White House has received more than 15,000 applications for the new media seat in the press briefing room. 

In late February, the White House said it would decide which journalists would be a part of the 13-member pool covering Trump in limited spaces, such as the Oval Office or Air Force One, breaking from the century-old tradition of the WHCA independently selecting which news outlets go where the president does when the full press corp cannot be accommodated. 

Eugene Daniels, the president of WHCA’s board and a Politico correspondent, said the decision ‘tears at the independence of a free press in the United States,’ but the White House championed the move as modernizing the press pool to expand past solely legacy media. The Trump administration said the three traditional wire services – the Associated Press, Bloomberg and Reuters – would no longer have a permanent spot in the pool and would instead rotate a single spot in the 13-member group. 

The White House later barred the AP from the press pool for ignoring Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The ban was temporarily upheld in federal court, though U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden warned that case law did not favor the White House and scheduled another hearing for March 20. 

Trump did not attend the WHCA annual dinner during his first term. Last month, the association tapped comedian Amber Ruffin, a writer for the ‘Late Show with Seth Meyers,’ to headline this year’s dinner. Ruffin told CNN’s Jake Tapper that ‘no one wants’ Trump to show up, though the president ‘should’ go to the event traditionally attended by the president and the first lady. 

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DOGE’s plans to offload government buildings supported by former GSA official

Former General Services Administration (GSA) head Emily Murphy, who served all of President Donald Trump’s first term, told Fox News Digital that the GSA will ‘rightsize its portfolio’ by selling or leasing unused government buildings – saving money to help the government run more efficiently. 

‘I think that there’s an incredible opportunity right now for GSA to save the government substantial amounts of money by rightsizing its portfolio,’ Murphy told Fox News Digital about Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) working with GSA to identify ‘vacant or underutilized federal spaces’ as part of the Trump administration’s plan to cut wasteful spending.

‘Right now, GSA is losing money,’ Murphy said. ‘The federal buildings that they own have over $370 billion in deferred maintenance. That’s a liability that is just growing and growing and growing because the buildings haven’t been maintained. So getting rid of owned space that hasn’t been maintained and that isn’t occupied, first of all, takes that off the government’s books, gets rid of that liability. But it also creates opportunities in communities. Having a building that’s unoccupied isn’t good for a city. It isn’t good for the state. It isn’t good for anyone.’

Murphy said those empty buildings are often in ideal downtown, ‘heavy utilization areas’ that can be a real asset to building up the community and returning funds to the Treasury Department. 

‘GSA has to rightsize its lease portfolio. Otherwise, it’s going to be paying rent on buildings it’s not occupying, and it doesn’t have the funding necessary to do that,’ Murphy said.

The GSA’s cost-cutting efforts have already resulted in 794 lease terminations with a total of over $500 million of lease obligations being canceled, a source familiar with the GSA’s actions told Fox News Digital.

Murphy said terminating leases and selling unused office space will benefit the government twofold. First, it can shore up money to fund government agencies in the short term. Second, it will reduce long-term financial obligations. 

‘No taxpayer should want the government to be paying for space it doesn’t use,’ Murphy said. ‘It’s billions of dollars a year [that] go out in rent and real estate payments from the federal government. This is a substantial amount of money, and it’s a real chance for GSA to do a great job for the American people and reduce the long-term financial obligations of the government and, frankly, free up money for agencies in the short term as well.’

Murphy told Fox that GSA exists to ‘cut down on waste’ and during her tenure, they managed to return about $21.6 billion in savings. She embraced DOGE’s efforts to cut wasteful spending and increase government efficiency, telling Fox News Digital those issues should have bipartisan support. 

‘Prioritizing efficiency and minimizing waste in our government really should be a bipartisan issue. Government contracting, government real estate doesn’t have a Republican side or a Democratic side of the coin,’ Murphy said. ‘What DOGE is doing right now is just pushing forward and trying to make sure that taxpayers can have confidence that every dollar being spent is really in their best interest.

Murphy explained that GSA was created to manage the federal government’s portfolio of properties and procurement and welcomed the renewed focus on efficiency. 

‘GSA is essentially the government’s management arm. It handles the real property, the procurement, many of the shared services the government has, the vehicles in the government’s fleet. It runs a lot of the back office functions of the government. It was created about 75 years ago to specifically take on that challenge, so that agencies didn’t have to all be doing the same repetitive tasks again and again,’ Murphy said.

Stephen Ehikian was sworn in as acting administrator and deputy administrator of the GSA on Inauguration Day. 

‘Under the Trump-Vance administration, I will return the GSA to its core purpose of making government work smarter and faster,’ said Ehikian. ‘Moving forward, GSA will be laser-focused on driving an efficient government and enabling our sister agencies to provide better service to taxpayers at lower costs.’

GSA has produced the most savings across federal agencies, according to the official DOGE website. A webpage titled ‘Non-core property list (Coming Soon)’ on the GSA’s website outlines the agency’s ongoing effort to save on government buildings. 

‘We are identifying buildings and facilities that are not core to government operations, or non-core properties, for disposal. Selling ensures that taxpayer dollars are no longer spent on vacant or underutilized federal spaces. Disposing of these assets helps eliminate costly maintenance and allows us to reinvest in high-quality work environments that support agency missions,’ it says on GSA’s website. 

The Associated Press reported that dozens of federal office and building leases will be terminated by June 20, with hundreds more expected in the coming months. AP also reported last week that GSA published a list of more than 440 federal properties the government was planning to offload. The list was then revised to include only 320 buildings before the webpage was ultimately updated to its current ‘coming soon’ language. 

Musk has lamented about unused office buildings on his personal X account and DOGE’s official account. 

‘Still *way* too many leases on unused buildings,’ Musk posted on Feb. 25.

‘Agreed! Today, lease cancellations on vacant/underutilized buildings are up from ~257 to ~440, with annual rent savings increasing from ~$100M to ~$171M. Still plenty of available office space for the current workforce,’ DOGE replied to Musk the following day. 

‘Today, the Federal Government exceeded $100M in annual rent savings through cancellations of 250+ vacant/underutilized leases totaling 3M+ square feet.  With ~7,250 current leases, there is plenty of available office space for the current workforce,’ DOGE announced in a post on Feb. 25. 

‘Crazy that the government was just renting and paying for upkeep services of hundreds of empty buildings!’ Musk replied. 

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JASON CHAFFETZ: Democrats have a major problem and they can’t fake their way out of it

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Following an election in which voters overwhelmingly rejected the fake competence of Vice President Kamala Harris and the fake lucidity of President Joe Biden, Democrats have opted to double down on fake.

Choreographed dance videos, duplicate social media posts, contrived town hall protesters and a sudden newfound aversion to zero-emission vehicles all scream insincerity. There is nothing genuine about it. 

This week, a devastating split screen went viral, featuring the erstwhile faces of Senators Schumer, Warren, and Booker, who had each recorded videos of themselves trying to sound natural while reading word-for-word from the exact same script. The words, (of unknown authorship), were emblematic of the lack of authenticity plaguing the flailing party.

No one is buying what Democrats are selling; it’s all fake. The outrage over some of Trump’s most popular policies is a sham. The juxtaposition of impotent Democrats against the breakneck pace of the current Trump administration does them no favors.

Voters can see that while Trump and Vance are having fun, Democrats are having conniptions. The contrast is stark. As the president and vice president appear to enjoy their verbal jousting with media and protesters, the progressive left seem to be losing their minds, flailing with fake tears of exasperation.

Democrats can’t fake cool.  

The reality is, their leaders come across childish, insincere, and desperate, not to mention old, tired, grumpy, and totally out of touch. Who can relate to the likes of Schumer, Sanders, Durbin, and Warren? 

Meanwhile, their protestors have lost the plot, projecting an embrace of violence, lawlessness, and government corruption. The party offers no home for traditional liberal Democrats, working-class people, privacy advocates, anti-war leftists, or Israel-supporting Jews.

Their carefully curated and choreographed messaging bears no resemblance to the urgent demands of a year ago. Supposedly, Democrats were all about electric vehicles. Not anymore.

Remember how Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was administering billions of dollars to build a national network of electric charging stations? (Americans got nothing for this boondoggle.) Democrats even advocated legislation to eliminate gas-powered vehicles in favor of electric vehicles. AOC personally bought a Tesla.  

Now, the message has reversed. Alas, their fealty to electric cars was also fake. Teslas are now bad; protesting and destroying them is good. Chaos is fine when they do it. 

Democratic women at the Joint Session of Congress wore pink, in theory, to support women, but they can’t define what a woman is, nor could they possibly support excluding men from participating in women’s sports. Their fake support of women falls apart when they actually have to stand up for women.

When President Trump tried to speak of the golden age of America that night, the Democrats couldn’t muster the strength to applaud. They failed to stand for a young cancer fighter, a man fulfilling his dream of attending West Point, a female victim of deep fake bullying pushing back, or a 95-year-old mother whose son was back from being held in Russia. Who are the Democrats really fighting for with their ‘resistance’ movement?

In 2024, they defended censorship to deal with ‘misinformation’ on social media – now they care deeply about the free speech of Hamas supporters, a designated terrorist organization, on US soil. Videos circulate of Democrats who previously criticized waste, fraud, and abuse now fighting to keep the gravy train running. We can all see that they’ve done a 180 from opposing to defending waste. The duplicity is lost on no one.

Coming off of a presidential campaign in which they all pretended to love Kamala Harris, who couldn’t string together an authentic sentence, these latest antics ooze insincerity.  

Contrast that with a President Trump who cheerfully pops in on White House tours, has candid, almost daily exchanges with the press, works the McDonald’s drive-through window, and shares irreverent memes on social media. It’s not even a fair fight. Donald Trump is unapologetically himself.

Voters are finished with the Democrats’ choreographed and curated leadership model. Their consultants, some of whom are their family members, are getting rich, but their efforts to rebuild and refresh their party are going backwards.

The party’s whole premise was based on division and class warfare. It was not about the very principles that make our country great.  

Far be it from me to give the Democrats advice. As long as they keep doing what they’re doing, the republic is likely safe from their fake leadership.

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Politics

Trump watches strike on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in new White House pics as large-scale op continues

The White House released photos of President Donald Trump watching strikes on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Saturday, as the large-scale U.S. operation against the terrorist group continues. 

‘President Trump is taking action against the Houthis to defend US shipping assets and deter terrorist threats,’ the White House wrote on X, sharing photos of Trump, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. ‘For too long American economic & national threats have been under assault by the Houthis. Not under this presidency.’ 

Trump appeared to be dressed in golf attire and was wearing his signature red baseball cap with his name emblazoned on the back while watching video of the strikes on a television screen. 

Another photo showed the president from the front with a black headset on. 

Trump wrote in a Saturday TRUTHSocial post that he had ‘ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen.’ 

‘Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom,’ Trump said. ‘No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.’ 

U.S. Central Command said Saturday it ‘initiated a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation.’ 

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement that Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday.  

‘The Secretary informed Russia of U.S. military deterrence operations against the Iran-backed Houthis and emphasized that continued Houthi attacks on U.S. military and commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea will not be tolerated,’ Bruce wrote. ‘Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov also discussed next steps to follow up on recent meetings in Saudi Arabia and agreed to continue working towards restoring communication between the United States and Russia.’ 

The Houthi-run Health Ministry in Yemen said the strikes killed at least 31 people, according to the Associated Press. 

The Houthis have repeatedly targeted international shipping in the Red Sea and launched missiles and drones at Israel in what the terrorist group said were acts of solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been at war with Hamas, another Iranian ally. The attacks stopped when a fragile Israel-Hamas cease-fire took hold in Gaza in January. The Houthis then threatened to renew them after Israel cut off the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza this month following the Hamas rejection of a U.S. framework for continuing the cease-fire and hostage releases.

The U.S. and others have long accused Iran of providing military aid to the Houthis, and the U.S. Navy has seized Iranian-made missile parts and other weaponry it said were bound for the terrorist group, which controls Yemen’s capital of Sanaa and the country’s north. Gen. Hossein Salami, head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, denied his country was involved in the Houthis’ attacks. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a post on X, urged the U.S. to halt the strikes and said Washington cannot dictate Iran’s foreign policy.

Trump said, ‘The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective. The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important Waterways of the World, grinding vast swaths of Global Commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of Freedom of Navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends.’ 

Trump charged that the Houthis ‘have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones.’ 

‘Joe Biden’s response was pathetically weak, so the unrestrained Houthis just kept going,’ he wrote on TRUTHSocial. 

Trump said it has been more than a year since a U.S.-flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden. 

‘The last American Warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times. Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at U.S. aircraft, and targeted our Troops and Allies. These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk,’ Trump wrote. 

‘To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!’ Trump said. 

The president added, ‘To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History, or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!’ 

The Houthis have targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two and killing four sailors, during their campaign targeting military and civilian ships between the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023 and January of this year, when the ceasefire in Gaza took effect, according to the AP. 

The U.S., Israel and Britain have previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen, but Saturday’s operation was conducted solely by the U.S. It was the first strike on the Houthis under the second Trump administration.

It comes two weeks after Trump sent a letter to Iranian leaders offering a path to restarting bilateral talks between the countries on Iran’s advancing nuclear program. Trump has said he will not allow it to become operational.

The Trump administration re-designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this month, after the Biden administration had lifted the group’s designation in 2021.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Sports

Key information for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas

As the NASCAR Cup Series cruises into Las Vegas, Christopher Bell has a chance to accomplish a feat that hasn’t been done in nearly 18 years.

Bell has won three consecutive races – at Atlanta, Circuit of the Americas and Phoenix – and if he takes the checkered flag Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he will become the first driver since Jimmie Johnson in 2007 to win four Cup races in a row.

During Johnson’s dominant 2007 season, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion won four consecutive races from Oct. 21 through Nov. 11 – at Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas and Phoenix – and finished the year with 10 victories and his second series title.

While Bell has never won in Sin City, the 30-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished second in two of the past three races in Las Vegas – though both runner-up finishes came in October playoff races. Bell, though, has triumphed on similar intermediate tracks like Homestead-Miami Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, so a fourth consecutive win is more than a mere possibility.

Will Bell continue his early season dominance on Sunday? Here is all the information you need to get ready for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

SCHEDULE: How to watch NASCAR Cup Series races in 2025

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What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas start?

The Pennzoil 400 starts at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. local) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas on?

FS1 is broadcasting the Pennzoil 400 and has a pre-race show beginning at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local).

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas?

The Pennzoil 400 can be live streamed on Max and the FoxSports app. Viewers can also stream the race on Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Watch NASCAR at Las Vegas on Fubo (free trial)

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas?

The Pennzoil 400  is 267 laps around the 1.5-mile track for a total of 400.5 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 80 laps; Stage 2: 85 laps; Stage 3: 102 laps.

Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at Las Vegas?

Joey Logano passed Daniel Suarez with six laps remaining before holding off Christopher Bell by 0.662 seconds to win the Las Vegas playoff race on Oct. 20, 2024 and lock himself into the championship race. He would go on to capture his third career series title.

And one year ago, Kyle Larson dominated, leading 181 of 267 laps, including the final 27, before edging Tyler Reddick by 0.441 seconds on March 3, 2024.

What is the lineup for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas?

(Car number in parentheses)

(71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
(22) Joey Logano, Ford
(2) Austin Cindric, Ford
(8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
(43) Erik Jones, Toyota
(48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
(21) Josh Berry, Ford
(24) William Byron, Chevrolet
(38) Zane Smith, Ford
(5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
(17) Chris Buescher, Ford
(60) Ryan Preece, Ford
(20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
(45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
(11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
(9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
(10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
(16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
(1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
(23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
(4) Noah Gragson, Ford
(3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
(99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
(19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota
(77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
(41) Cole Custer, Ford
(6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
(88) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
(54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
(42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
(47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
(34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
(7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
(35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
(51) Cody Ware, Ford
(12) Ryan Blaney, Ford

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