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Medicaid is quickly emerging as a political lightning rod as House Republicans negotiate on a massive bill to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Some Republican lawmakers are worried about the level of spending cuts being sought by fiscal hawks to offset the cost of Trump’s policies, arguing the current deal could force potentially unworkable cuts on Medicaid and other federal safety net programs.

‘I’m concerned that $880 billion out of [the House Energy & Commerce Committee] is likely very steep cuts to Medicaid – and it’s the very thing President Trump asked us not to do,’ Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

GOP lawmakers are working to pass a broad swath of Trump policies – from investments in defense and border security to extending his 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips – via the budget reconciliation process. The mechanism allows the party in control of both houses of Congress to pass a tax and budget bill without help from the opposing party.

But conservative spending hawks are looking for deep cuts in federal dollars to offset money going toward Trump’s priorities. The current resolution advancing through the House would aim to cut government spending by at least $1.5 trillion, while allocating $4.5 trillion toward Trump’s tax cuts.

An amendment added after conservatives balked at that deal would cut funding going toward Trump’s tax cuts by $500 billion if at least $2 trillion total spending cuts were not reached. 

Even before the additional cuts, however, some Republicans like Bacon are concerned that the $880 billion that the Energy & Commerce Committee is tasked with cutting will negatively impact their constituents.

Conservatives have pushed back, arguing that significant cuts could be found in Medicaid work requirements. But skeptics of that argument say that the level of spending cuts being sought go past what work requirements can cover.

‘We want to ensure that it’s not going to hurt… our hospitals, or our organizations that serve the developmentally disabled, and we’re asking for clarity on where the $880 billion in savings come from,’ Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., the only House Republican representing part of New York City, told Fox News Digital.

She did agree with GOP rebels that there was ‘mismanagement’ and waste to root out in those programs.

Malliotakis and other Republicans on the Ways & Means Committee tasked with writing tax policy are also uneasy about the new amendment that could cut funds allocated to their panel.

‘I don’t think that is doable without affecting beneficiaries, and I’ve expressed that concern to leadership and in talking to some of my colleagues,’ Malliotakis said.

Another House Republican who declined to be named told Fox News Digital that ‘there’s a bunch of us’ who think the proposed cuts ‘are too big.’

‘They’re trying to sell us $1.5 trillion, but in reality, there’s another $500 billion attached to it that they’re trying to cut. And it’s not going to pass,’ the GOP lawmaker said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., who unseated a Democrat in a close race last year, wrote on X over the weekend, ‘I ran for Congress under a promise of always doing what is best for the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania. If a bill is put in front of me that guts the benefits my neighbors rely on, I will not vote for it.’

The budget reconciliation process allows legislation to advance with only GOP votes by lowering the threshold for Senate passage from two-thirds to a simple 51-seat majority. The House already operates on a simple majority.

But currently, Republicans can lose just one vote in the House to pass anything on party lines – meaning they can afford almost no dissent to get their reconciliation bill over the line.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a conservative on the House Budget Committee who would not have supported the resolution last week without the last-minute amendment, told reporters last week, ‘Medicaid’s got to be in it. You don’t get to the [$1.5 trillion figure], much less two, without it.’

‘And it’s not cuts to Medicaid. Work requirements have an $800 billion savings on it… able-bodied 40-year-old men who can work don’t need to be on Medicaid,’ Norman said.

Democrats are waiting to pounce on the discord.

The House Majority PAC, which is aligned with House Democratic leadership, released a memo on Tuesday accusing Republicans of seeking to make ‘deep cuts’ to Medicaid ‘to fund $4.5 trillion in tax cuts to Elon Musk and other billionaires.’

‘In battleground congressional districts across the country, House Republicans are putting Medicaid on the chopping block – a move that would rip life-saving health care away from tens of thousands of their own constituents – roughly half of whom are children,’ the memo said.

But according to Ways & Means Republicans, the average American household could see taxes raised by over 20% if the Trump tax cuts expired.

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Nearly everyone agrees that the federal government has become this bloated monster that needs to be cut down to size.

The massive bureaucracy, attacked by some as evil, is absurdly overstaffed and wastes massive amounts of money.

What President Trump is doing in trying to shrink the size of government is popular – even if his billionaire budget-slasher, Elon Musk, is not – and many of the court battles are likely to be resolved in his favor.

But the equation is turned on its head when actual people feel the impact. And the media start highlighting sad cases of devastated folks. And Republican lawmakers start objecting to the cutbacks that hit home.

That’s why it’s so hard to cut the federal budget. It’s not like going into SpaceX and firing a bunch of software engineers. The political pressures can be intense.

Virtually every program in the federal budget is there because some group, at some time, convinced Congress it was a good idea. There are noble-sounding causes – cancer research, aid to veterans, subsidies for farmers.

In fact, farmers are threatened by the near-abolition of USAID – while most people hate foreign aid, food programs provide a crucial market for American farmers, many of whom are now stuck with spoiling surpluses or loans they can’t repay.

Now there’s plenty of game-playing that goes on with government programs. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that agencies could cut one of every 10 employees without damaging their core functions. 

Anyone who’s looked at the endless cycle of conferences, conventions, training confabs, office renovations and the like knows how much fat there is in these budgets. When you throw in lucrative payments to well-connected contractors, that figure skyrockets.

But when agency officials come under fire, they immediately insist that any cutbacks will instantly hurt the poor and downtrodden, or working-class folks living paycheck to paycheck. It used to be called the Washington Monument defense, the notion that any attempt to reduce funding for the Interior Department would cause the memorial’s immediate shutdown.

NIH, for instance, does world-class research that benefits the country. But the battle between Musk’s DOGE and the institute centers on how much is spent on indirect costs.

Musk says his aim is ‘dropping the overhead charged on NIH grants from the outrageous 60 percent to a far more reasonable 15 percent.’

But an NBC story is headlined: ‘NIH Cuts Could Stall Medical Progress for Lifesaving Treatments, Experts Say.’

The piece quotes Theodore Iwashyna, a physician at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, as saying his ‘father had pancreatic cancer, and the care plan developed for him existed only because of research funded through organizations like the NIH.’

Iwashyna says the overhead is needed for ‘computers, whiteboards, microscopes, electricity, and janitors and staff who keep labs clean and organized.’

Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, whose state is getting $518 million in NIH grants, mainly to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is raising objections. The conservative Republican told a reporter she wants the administration to take a ‘smart, targeted approach’ so as not to endanger ‘groundbreaking, lifesaving research.’

The examples are legion. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski has asked the administration not to restrict funding for diversity programs among American Indian tribes.

As the New York Times puts it, ‘some Republicans’ have sought ‘carve outs and special consideration for agriculture programs, scientific research and more, even as they cheered on Mr. Trump’s overall approach.’

Musk’s DOGE team seems to be using a meat-ax method. Why lay off hundreds of FAA technicians and engineers just weeks after the fatal plane crash at Reagan National Airport, when there’s already a major shortage of air traffic controllers?

FEMA, which is already stretched thin after the Los Angeles wildfires and the Kentucky flooding, is preparing to fire hundreds of probationary workers, reports the Washington Post. Such workers, who have been with the government for one or two years, basically have no rights. 

But there has been zero effort to assess them. Some were told their performance was the issue, but showed the Post their evaluations. ‘Above fully successful,’ said one, for a fired GSA worker. ‘An outstanding year, consistently exceeding expectations,’ said the review for a fired NIH staffer.

But viewed from a different angle, the hometown paper and other outlets buy into the notion that federal employees should have tenure for life. Everyone in Washington knows that before Trump it was virtually impossible to fire such employees, even for cause. 

By contrast, Southwest Airlines just announced a 15% cut of its corporate workforce. No one is rushing to interview those laid off, because this sort of downsizing is routine in the private sector. But the Beltway ethos is that federal workers are entitled to their jobs.

Now intellectual honesty requires the observation that even radical cuts to the federal payroll won’t have much impact on the $840 billion budget deficit or the $36 trillion federal debt. The bulk of the budget consists of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, defense spending and interest on the debt.

Can Elon Musk and DOGE at least make progress on rooting out waste, fraud and abuse? Maybe. But the level of pain being inflicted on ordinary Americans, including in red states, and the natural tendency of politicians to shield local residents from that pain, and the media’s relentless spotlight on those suffering, are going to be a giant obstacle.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

MEDLEY, Fla. – Chelsea Gray and Angel Reese are a tough pair to guard in the pick-and-roll. They had no problem executing it down the stretch of their fourth Unrivaled win.

Gray scored the game-winning shot to finish with 26 points, Reese had 16 points and 15 rebounds for another double-double, and the Rose beat the Vinyl 61-55 in the first of two Unrivaled games Tuesday night.

Despite leading 13-2 after the first quarter, the Rose found itself trailing 49-48 heading into the fourth quarter. But, the Rose won the final frame and are now .500, improving to 4-4.

“We went down, and nobody really hung their head. None of them thought, ‘Oh man, this is over.’ They just went on a run, and it was always ‘we can get the next stop, and then we’re executing on offense,’ Rose coach Nola Henry said. “The only thing that matters is what’s right in front of you.”

Gray and Reese provided a steady diet of offense with their pick-and-roll actions. Reese was often under the basket, while Gray found space in the paint to take over the game. Brittney Sykes added 17 points in the Rose win.

“There was one play they found that was pretty successful for them,” Vinyl coach Teresa Weatherspoon said of the Gray-Reese connection. “What we did to even have ourselves back into the game, that’s something we can build off of.”

The Vinyl outscored the Rose 24-16 in the second quarter and 23-19 in the third quarter. But they ultimately fell flat in the final quarter, as the Rose took the game with a 13-6 advantage.

Rhyne Howard scored 24 points, while Dearica Hamby had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Vinyl in the loss.

Kayla McBride scored 30 points, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scored 23 points and the game-winner in her first Unrivaled game on a player relief contract, and the Laces beat the Phantom 75-68 in the second game.

Unrivaled’s second half unofficially began Tuesday night. Four of the six teams will reach the playoff semifinals on March 16, and the final will be played on March 17.

Check out these highlights from Unrivaled’s games Tuesday night from USA TODAY Sports:

Unrivaled highlights

Unrivaled final score: Laces 75, Phantom 68

Kayla McBride scored 30 points, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scored 23 points and the game-winner in her first Unrivaled game on a player relief contract, and the Laces beat the Phantom 75-68 in the second of two games Tuesday night.

Laney-Hamilton joined the league officially on Tuesday when she was named to the Laces’ roster. The Laces barely had five players active for the game.

Tiffany Hayes (concussion protocol), Kate Martin (left leg), Alyssa Thomas (right leg) and Jackie Young (left leg) did not play. The Laces also have Natisha Hiedeman and Kiki Jefferson signed to player-relief contracts due to injuries.

Sabrina Ionescu had 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Satou Sabally scored 15 points and Brittney Griner had 14 points for the Phantom in the loss.

Unrivaled third quarter score: Laces 63, Phantom 59

Target winning score: 74

Kayla McBride had a steal and scored at the free throw line to finish the third quarter with 24 points, helping the Laces take a 63-59 lead into the fourth quarter. Satou Sabally has scored 15 points, while Sabrina Ionescu has 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Phantom.

The first team to reach 74 points will win.

Unrivaled halftime score: Laces 41, Phantom 37

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton has 11 points in her first Unrivaled game, and Kayla McBride has 10 points with six rebounds for the Laces, up 41-37 at halftime against the Phantom.

Sabrina Ionescu came alive with 10 points in the second quarter, along with nine total rebounds for the Phantom.

Unrivaled first quarter score: Laces 19, Phantom 13

Kayla McBride scored six points, and all five Laces players scored in the first quarter to fuel a 19-13 lead over the Phantom.

The Phantom’s Katie Lou Samuelson scored five points, while Brittney Griner had four points and Sabrina Ionescu had five rebounds in the first quarter.

Unrivaled final score: Rose 61, Vinyl 55

Chelsea Gray scored 26 points, Angel Reese had 16 points and 15 rebounds, and the Rose beat the Vinyl 61-55 in the first of two Unrivaled games on Tuesday night.

Gray scored the game-winning bucket, while Brittney Sykes added 17 points in the Rose win.

“We just needed a dub, and everybody contributed,” Gray said of the victory.

Rhyne Howard scored 24 points, while Dearica Hamby had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Vinyl in the loss.

Unrivaled third quarter score: Vinyl 49, Rose 48

Target winning score: 60

It’ll be a race to 60 points in the fourth quarter between the Vinyl and Rose.

Rhyne Howard leads all scorers with 24 points, and Dearica Hamby has 16 points with nine rebounds as the Vinyl leads 49-48 heading into the fourth quarter.

Chelsea Gray has 17 points, while Angel Reese has 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Rose.

Unrivaled halftime score: Rose 29, Vinyl 26

The Vinyl have turned it around, outscoring the Rose 24-16 in the second quarter, but still trail heading into halftime.

Rhyne Howard has 15 points for the Vinyl to lead all scorers, while Chelsea Gray has 11 points and Brittney Sykes has 10 points for the Rose.

Unrivaled first quarter score: Rose 13, Vinyl 2

Chelsea Gray has nine of the Rose’s 13 points, while the Vinyl shot 1 of 20 from the field in the first quarter. Even though the Rose lead, both teams combined to shoot 6 of 36 in the first quarter. Angel Reese already has six rebounds, while Azurá Stevens has five for the Rose.

How to watch Unrivaled games Tuesday night on TV

Unrivaled is available on cable television on TNT in the United States, and TSN+ in Canada.

Watch: Unrivaled games on Sling TV

How to live stream Unrivaled games on Tuesday night

Unrivaled games are also available to live stream on Max, and internationally on YouTube.

Unrivaled standings

Here are the Unrivaled standings heading into the second half of the season:

Lunar Owls (8-0)
Laces (4-3)
Rose (3-4)
Vinyl (3-4)
Phantom (2-5)
Mist (2-6)

Rose (3-4) vs. Vinyl (3-4) preview

The Rose hope to extend a two-game winning streak, while the Vinyl hope to break a four-game skid in tonight’s game.

Chelsea Gray leads Unrivaled with 44 assists, while Reese is first in offensive rebounds (3.1) and fourth in total rebounds per game (9.6) for the Rose. Kahleah Copper won’t be available for the Rose due to a right leg injury.

Dearica Hamby is Unrivaled’s third-leading scorer (21.2 points) and the fourth-leading rebounder (10.4), while Rhyne Howard (13.2 points) and Arike Ogunbowale (13.0) round out the Vinyl’s starting lineup.

Phantom (2-5) vs. Laces (4-3) preview

The Laces hope to have five players active for tonight’s game. Tiffany Hayes (concussion protocol), Kate Martin (left leg), Alyssa Thomas (right leg) are out for tonight’s game.

Kayla McBride is second in Unrivaled with 24.7 points, but questionable to play due to a left leg injury. Jackie Young is also questionable with a left leg injury. Stefanie Dolson is healthy and available.

The Laces have Natisha Hiedeman, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Kiki Jefferson signed to player-relief contracts. If McBride or Young play, Jefferson would not be eligible to play.

The Phantom hopes to snap a two-game skid behind its stars Ionescu, Brittney Griner and Satou Sabally. Ionescu had a breakout game for the Phantom on Jan. 31, where she had 38 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the club’s last win against the Rose.

Napheesa Collier wins Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament

Napheesa Collier of the Lunar Owls won Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 tournament, taking home $200,000 after eliminating Aaliyah Edwards in the final. Collier’s Lunar Owls teammates each received $10,000 for her victory.

Edwards earned $50,000 as a runner-up, while Arike Ogunbowale and Azurá Stevens each earned $25,000 as semifinalists.

What is Unrivaled?

Six teams with 36 of the best women’s basketball players in the world, including Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner, will compete in the 3-on-3, full court games.

Where is Unrivaled playing games?

Games will be played at Wayfair Arena in Medley, Florida, which is in the Miami metropolitan area, about 7 miles from Miami International Airport.

Unrivaled team names and rosters

Laces: Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young, Natisha Hiedeman (relief player contract), Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (relief player contract), Kiki Jefferson (relief player contract).
Lunar Owls: Shakira Austin, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, Cameron Brink (IR).
Mist: DiJonai Carrington, Aaliyah Edwards, Rickea Jackson, Jewell Loyd, NaLyssa Smith (relief player contract), Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot.
Phantom: Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Katie Lou Samuelson.
Rose: Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Lexie Hull, Angel Reese, Azura Stevens, Brittney Sykes.
Vinyl: Aliyah Boston, Rae Burrell, Jordin Canada, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Arike Ogunbowale.

Unrivaled rules to know 

Unrivaled games start with three seven-minute quarters, and games end when the target winning score is reached in the fourth quarter. The target winning score is 11 points higher than the highest team’s score after the third quarter, known as the Elam Ending. 
Players also take just one free throw after being fouled: A free throw equals two or three points depending on the shooting foul. 
How long is the Unrivaled court size? It is 72 feet long by 49.2 feet wide. NBA and WNBA courts are 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. 

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

DOGE’s Elon Musk opened up in an interview alongside President Trump with Fox News Sean Hannity about a dinner party where he said he realized how ‘real’ Democratic animosity toward Trump can be.

‘I happened to mention the president’s name and it was like they got shot with a dart in the jugular that contained like methamphetamine and rabies,’ Musk said in the Tuesday night interview while recounting a situation where he mentioned Trump’s name at a dinner party and quickly received pushback.

Musk imitated people at the party going crazy and questioned why they couldn’t have a normal conversation.

‘It’s like they’ve become completely irrational,’ Musk said, adding in the interview that he didn’t realize the severity of ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ was until he attended that dinner party.

During another point in the interview, Hannity asked if Musk would recuse himself from DOGE efforts if there was ever a conflict of interest.

‘If there’s a conflict he won’t be involved,’ Trump said. ‘I wouldn’t want that and he won’t want it.’

‘Right, and also I’m getting sort of a daily proctology exam,’ Musk added. ‘It’s not like I’ll be getting away for something in the dead of night.’

Musk and Trump sat down for a wide-ranging interview with Hannity where they discussed the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) work, the first 100 days of the Trump administration and more. It marks the duo’s first joint television interview.

‘He’s been so unfairly attacked,’ Musk said of Trump during the interview. ‘It’s really outrageous.’

‘I’ve spent a lot of time with the President, and not once have I seen him do anything mean or cruel or wrong.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

MEDLEY, Fla. – The second half of Unrivaled’s inaugural season continues Tuesday as the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league approaches its postseason.

Angel Reese and the Rose (3-4) will meet Rhyne Howard and the Vinyl (3-4) in the first of two games at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Sabrina Ionescu and the Phantom (2-5) will face Tiffany Hayes, Kayla McBride and the Laces (4-3) in the second game an hour later.

Only four of the six Unrivaled clubs will reach the playoffs. The semifinals are set for March 16, and the final is scheduled March 17.

Here’s everything you need to know about Unrivaled’s games Tuesday night, and stay tuned for live updates from USA TODAY Sports:

Unrivaled final score: Rose 61, Vinyl 55

Chelsea Gray scored 26 points, Angel Reese had 16 points and 15 rebounds, and the Rose beat the Vinyl 61-55 in the first of two Unrivaled games on Tuesday night.

Gray scored the game-winning bucket, while Brittney Sykes added 17 points in the Rose win.

“We just needed a dub, and everybody contributed,” Gray said of the victory.

Rhyne Howard scored 24 points, while Dearica Hamby had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Vinyl in the loss.

Unrivaled third quarter score: Vinyl 49, Rose 48

Target winning score: 60

It’ll be a race to 60 points in the fourth quarter between the Vinyl and Rose.

Rhyne Howard leads all scorers with 24 points, and Dearica Hamby has 16 points with nine rebounds as the Vinyl leads 49-48 heading into the fourth quarter.

Chelsea Gray has 17 points, while Angel Reese has 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Rose.

Unrivaled halftime score: Rose 29, Vinyl 26

The Vinyl have turned it around, outscoring the Rose 24-16 in the second quarter, but still trail heading into halftime.

Rhyne Howard has 15 points for the Vinyl to lead all scorers, while Chelsea Gray has 11 points and Brittney Sykes has 10 points for the Rose.

Unrivaled first quarter score: Rose 13, Vinyl 2

Chelsea Gray has nine of the Rose’s 13 points, while the Vinyl shot 1 of 20 from the field in the first quarter. Even though the Rose lead, both teams combined to shoot 6 of 36 in the first quarter. Angel Reese already has six rebounds, while Azurá Stevens has five for the Rose.

How to watch Unrivaled games Tuesday night on TV

Unrivaled is available on cable television on TNT in the United States, and TSN+ in Canada.

Watch: Unrivaled games on Sling TV

How to live stream Unrivaled games on Tuesday night

Unrivaled games are also available to live stream on Max, and internationally on YouTube.

Unrivaled standings

Here are the Unrivaled standings heading into the second half of the season:

Lunar Owls (8-0)
Laces (4-3)
Rose (3-4)
Vinyl (3-4)
Phantom (2-5)
Mist (2-6)

Rose (3-4) vs. Vinyl (3-4) preview

The Rose hope to extend a two-game winning streak, while the Vinyl hope to break a four-game skid in tonight’s game.

Chelsea Gray leads Unrivaled with 44 assists, while Reese is first in offensive rebounds (3.1) and fourth in total rebounds per game (9.6) for the Rose. Kahleah Copper won’t be available for the Rose due to a right leg injury.

Dearica Hamby is Unrivaled’s third-leading scorer (21.2 points) and the fourth-leading rebounder (10.4), while Rhyne Howard (13.2 points) and Arike Ogunbowale (13.0) round out the Vinyl’s starting lineup.

Phantom (2-5) vs. Laces (4-3) preview

The Laces hope to have five players active for tonight’s game. Tiffany Hayes (concussion protocol), Kate Martin (left leg), Alyssa Thomas (right leg) are out for tonight’s game.

Kayla McBride is second in Unrivaled with 24.7 points, but questionable to play due to a left leg injury. Jackie Young is also questionable with a left leg injury. Stefanie Dolson is healthy and available.

The Laces have Natisha Hiedeman, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Kiki Jefferson signed to player-relief contracts. If McBride or Young play, Jefferson would not be eligible to play.

The Phantom hopes to snap a two-game skid behind its stars Ionescu, Brittney Griner and Satou Sabally. Ionescu had a breakout game for the Phantom on Jan. 31, where she had 38 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the club’s last win against the Rose.

Napheesa Collier wins Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament

Napheesa Collier of the Lunar Owls won Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 tournament, taking home $200,000 after eliminating Aaliyah Edwards in the final. Collier’s Lunar Owls teammates each received $10,000 for her victory.

Edwards earned $50,000 as a runner-up, while Arike Ogunbowale and Azurá Stevens each earned $25,000 as semifinalists.

What is Unrivaled?

Six teams with 36 of the best women’s basketball players in the world, including Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner, will compete in the 3-on-3, full court games.

Where is Unrivaled playing games?

Games will be played at Wayfair Arena in Medley, Florida, which is in the Miami metropolitan area, about 7 miles from Miami International Airport.

Unrivaled team names and rosters

Laces: Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young, Natisha Hiedeman (relief player contract), Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (relief player contract), Kiki Jefferson (relief player contract).
Lunar Owls: Shakira Austin, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, Cameron Brink (IR).
Mist: DiJonai Carrington, Aaliyah Edwards, Rickea Jackson, Jewell Loyd, NaLyssa Smith (relief player contract), Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot.
Phantom: Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Katie Lou Samuelson.
Rose: Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Lexie Hull, Angel Reese, Azura Stevens, Brittney Sykes.
Vinyl: Aliyah Boston, Rae Burrell, Jordin Canada, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Arike Ogunbowale.

Unrivaled rules to know 

Unrivaled games start with three seven-minute quarters, and games end when the target winning score is reached in the fourth quarter. The target winning score is 11 points higher than the highest team’s score after the third quarter, known as the Elam Ending. 
Players also take just one free throw after being fouled: A free throw equals two or three points depending on the shooting foul. 
How long is the Unrivaled court size? It is 72 feet long by 49.2 feet wide. NBA and WNBA courts are 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. 

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to drop in quality before our very eyes. Streaming services continue to put out mediocre show after mediocre show refusing to take risks hoping their 30th iteration of the same tired formula will finally catch smoke. Movies constantly disappoint. Yet somehow, Netflix has still been able to distribute quality entertainment with their documentaries. Their latest being ‘Court of Gold,’ a retelling of the United States’ men’s basketball team’s journey to gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, offering previously untold stories surrounding Team USA, France, Serbia, and others.

The six-part docuseries released on February 18, and the anecdotes and iconic moments that have emerged are truly game-changing. The show offers a deep look into arguably the greatest congregation of basketball players on the planet, and is a must-see for any NBA or basketball fans.

Here are our favorite moments.

Best moments from Netflix’s ‘Court of Gold’

Tyrese Haliburton getting rejected by Joel Embiid

Moments like the Olympics are perfect opportunities for NBA stars to tempt other stars to join their teams once the tournaments are settled. However, Joel Embiid was having none of it when Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton tried to lure him to the midwest. Embiid said he would rather retire than play in Indiana.

Seeing France’s reaction to Steph Curry’s dagger

Curry’s dagger against France was undoubtedly the best moment of the tournament, and while it’s great to look back on that as Americans, it’s likely disheartening for French people. That said, even the French team had to tip their caps with respect to Curry’s clutch shooting.

Team Serbia getting ‘historically drunk’ after bronze medal game

Anyone who watched the medal ceremony for men’s basketball at the 2024 Olympics remembers just how hammered the Serbian team looked.

Well, that was apparently by design. After their win over Germany in the bronze medal match, the Serbian team wanted to get ‘historically drunk,’ according to ‘Court of Gold.’ Mission accomplished, it seems.

The camaraderie of Steph Curry and LeBron James

Steph Curry and LeBron James have never played on an NBA team together in their careers. In fact, they’ve been bitter rivals for good portions of their careers, facing off against one another in the NBA Finals four years in a row at one point. You would never be able to tell in this documentary, though. The pair worked phenomenally well together during the Olympics, with Curry’s unforgettable shooting spree to win the gold medal match coming because he called a pick-and-roll play with LeBron known as ‘ear-tug.’

Furthermore, LeBron James and Steph Curry joked with one another about returning to the team in 2028 as coaches, with James even jokingly guaranteeing a gold medal if he is the head coach. For all the hard-fought battles those two have had against one another, they clearly have the utmost respect for one another as well.

This story has been updated to reflect the correct release date.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Regular followers of women’s college basketball undoubtedly had two questions in light of the week’s results. The first, of course, concerns who would be the new No. 1 team in the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll after UCLA’s first loss of the season.

The answer, perhaps not all that surprisingly, is Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish had to stave off a Monday night challenge from visiting Duke, but they prevailed and move up from the No. 2 spot claiming 23 of 31 first-place votes. It’s the first No. 1 ranking for the Irish since Jan. 22, 2019. Texas, picked first on five ballots, moves up a notch into the No. 2 position, the highest ranking for the Longhorns since the 2003-04 season.

UCLA drops to No. 3, though the Bruins did retain three first-place nods despite the loss to Southern California. Speaking of the Trojans, they climb to No. 4 after handing their cross-town rivals their first loss.

This brings us to the second question – how far would South Carolina tumble after the rare occurrence of being on the short end of a blowout. Connecticut, which administered said rout to the Gamecocks, moves up to No. 5 as South Carolina slips to sixth. It marks the first non-top five ranking for the Gamecocks since March 2, 2021. LSU, Ohio State, TCU and North Carolina round out the top 10.

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MEDLEY, Fla. – Chelsea Gray and Angel Reese are a tough pair to guard in the pick-and-roll. They had no problem executing it down the stretch of their fourth Unrivaled win.

Gray scored the game-winning shot to finish with 26 points, Reese had 16 points and 15 rebounds for another double-double, and the Rose beat the Vinyl 61-55 in the first of two Unrivaled games Tuesday night.

Despite leading 13-2 after the first quarter, the Rose found itself trailing 49-48 heading into the fourth quarter. But, the Rose won the final frame and are now .500, improving to 4-4.

“We went down, and nobody really hung their head. None of them thought, ‘Oh man, this is over.’ They just went on a run, and it was always ‘we can get the next stop, and then we’re executing on offense,’ Rose coach Nola Henry said. “The only thing that matters is what’s right in front of you.”

Gray and Reese provided a steady diet of offense with their pick-and-roll actions. Reese was often under the basket, while Gray found space in the paint to take over the game. Brittney Sykes added 17 points in the Rose win.

“There was one play they found that was pretty successful for them,” Vinyl coach Teresa Weatherspoon said of the Gray-Reese connection. “What we did to even have ourselves back into the game, that’s something we can build off of.”

The Vinyl outscored the Rose 24-16 in the second quarter and 23-19 in the third quarter. But they ultimately fell flat in the final quarter, as the Rose took the game with a 13-6 advantage.

Rhyne Howard scored 24 points, while Dearica Hamby had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Vinyl in the loss.

Kayla McBride scored 30 points, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scored 23 points and the game-winner in her first Unrivaled game on a player relief contract, and the Laces beat the Phantom 75-68 in the second game.

Unrivaled’s second half unofficially began Tuesday night. Four of the six teams will reach the playoff semifinals on March 16, and the final will be played on March 17.

Check out these highlights from Unrivaled’s games Tuesday night from USA TODAY Sports:

Unrivaled highlights

Unrivaled final score: Laces 75, Phantom 68

Kayla McBride scored 30 points, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scored 23 points and the game-winner in her first Unrivaled game on a player relief contract, and the Laces beat the Phantom 75-68 in the second of two games Tuesday night.

Laney-Hamilton joined the league officially on Tuesday when she was named to the Laces’ roster. The Laces barely had five players active for the game.

Tiffany Hayes (concussion protocol), Kate Martin (left leg), Alyssa Thomas (right leg) and Jackie Young (left leg) did not play. The Laces also have Natisha Hiedeman and Kiki Jefferson signed to player-relief contracts due to injuries.

Sabrina Ionescu had 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Satou Sabally scored 15 points and Brittney Griner had 14 points for the Phantom in the loss.

Unrivaled third quarter score: Laces 63, Phantom 59

Target winning score: 74

Kayla McBride had a steal and scored at the free throw line to finish the third quarter with 24 points, helping the Laces take a 63-59 lead into the fourth quarter. Satou Sabally has scored 15 points, while Sabrina Ionescu has 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Phantom.

The first team to reach 74 points will win.

Unrivaled halftime score: Laces 41, Phantom 37

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton has 11 points in her first Unrivaled game, and Kayla McBride has 10 points with six rebounds for the Laces, up 41-37 at halftime against the Phantom.

Sabrina Ionescu came alive with 10 points in the second quarter, along with nine total rebounds for the Phantom.

Unrivaled first quarter score: Laces 19, Phantom 13

Kayla McBride scored six points, and all five Laces players scored in the first quarter to fuel a 19-13 lead over the Phantom.

The Phantom’s Katie Lou Samuelson scored five points, while Brittney Griner had four points and Sabrina Ionescu had five rebounds in the first quarter.

Unrivaled final score: Rose 61, Vinyl 55

Chelsea Gray scored 26 points, Angel Reese had 16 points and 15 rebounds, and the Rose beat the Vinyl 61-55 in the first of two Unrivaled games on Tuesday night.

Gray scored the game-winning bucket, while Brittney Sykes added 17 points in the Rose win.

“We just needed a dub, and everybody contributed,” Gray said of the victory.

Rhyne Howard scored 24 points, while Dearica Hamby had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Vinyl in the loss.

Unrivaled third quarter score: Vinyl 49, Rose 48

Target winning score: 60

It’ll be a race to 60 points in the fourth quarter between the Vinyl and Rose.

Rhyne Howard leads all scorers with 24 points, and Dearica Hamby has 16 points with nine rebounds as the Vinyl leads 49-48 heading into the fourth quarter.

Chelsea Gray has 17 points, while Angel Reese has 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Rose.

Unrivaled halftime score: Rose 29, Vinyl 26

The Vinyl have turned it around, outscoring the Rose 24-16 in the second quarter, but still trail heading into halftime.

Rhyne Howard has 15 points for the Vinyl to lead all scorers, while Chelsea Gray has 11 points and Brittney Sykes has 10 points for the Rose.

Unrivaled first quarter score: Rose 13, Vinyl 2

Chelsea Gray has nine of the Rose’s 13 points, while the Vinyl shot 1 of 20 from the field in the first quarter. Even though the Rose lead, both teams combined to shoot 6 of 36 in the first quarter. Angel Reese already has six rebounds, while Azurá Stevens has five for the Rose.

How to watch Unrivaled games Tuesday night on TV

Unrivaled is available on cable television on TNT in the United States, and TSN+ in Canada.

Watch: Unrivaled games on Sling TV

How to live stream Unrivaled games on Tuesday night

Unrivaled games are also available to live stream on Max, and internationally on YouTube.

Unrivaled standings

Here are the Unrivaled standings heading into the second half of the season:

Lunar Owls (8-0)
Laces (4-3)
Rose (3-4)
Vinyl (3-4)
Phantom (2-5)
Mist (2-6)

Rose (3-4) vs. Vinyl (3-4) preview

The Rose hope to extend a two-game winning streak, while the Vinyl hope to break a four-game skid in tonight’s game.

Chelsea Gray leads Unrivaled with 44 assists, while Reese is first in offensive rebounds (3.1) and fourth in total rebounds per game (9.6) for the Rose. Kahleah Copper won’t be available for the Rose due to a right leg injury.

Dearica Hamby is Unrivaled’s third-leading scorer (21.2 points) and the fourth-leading rebounder (10.4), while Rhyne Howard (13.2 points) and Arike Ogunbowale (13.0) round out the Vinyl’s starting lineup.

Phantom (2-5) vs. Laces (4-3) preview

The Laces hope to have five players active for tonight’s game. Tiffany Hayes (concussion protocol), Kate Martin (left leg), Alyssa Thomas (right leg) are out for tonight’s game.

Kayla McBride is second in Unrivaled with 24.7 points, but questionable to play due to a left leg injury. Jackie Young is also questionable with a left leg injury. Stefanie Dolson is healthy and available.

The Laces have Natisha Hiedeman, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Kiki Jefferson signed to player-relief contracts. If McBride or Young play, Jefferson would not be eligible to play.

The Phantom hopes to snap a two-game skid behind its stars Ionescu, Brittney Griner and Satou Sabally. Ionescu had a breakout game for the Phantom on Jan. 31, where she had 38 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the club’s last win against the Rose.

Napheesa Collier wins Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament

Napheesa Collier of the Lunar Owls won Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 tournament, taking home $200,000 after eliminating Aaliyah Edwards in the final. Collier’s Lunar Owls teammates each received $10,000 for her victory.

Edwards earned $50,000 as a runner-up, while Arike Ogunbowale and Azurá Stevens each earned $25,000 as semifinalists.

What is Unrivaled?

Six teams with 36 of the best women’s basketball players in the world, including Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner, will compete in the 3-on-3, full court games.

Where is Unrivaled playing games?

Games will be played at Wayfair Arena in Medley, Florida, which is in the Miami metropolitan area, about 7 miles from Miami International Airport.

Unrivaled team names and rosters

Laces: Stefanie Dolson, Tiffany Hayes, Kate Martin, Kayla McBride, Alyssa Thomas, Jackie Young, Natisha Hiedeman (relief player contract), Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (relief player contract), Kiki Jefferson (relief player contract).
Lunar Owls: Shakira Austin, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, Cameron Brink (IR).
Mist: DiJonai Carrington, Aaliyah Edwards, Rickea Jackson, Jewell Loyd, NaLyssa Smith (relief player contract), Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot.
Phantom: Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner, Sabrina Ionescu, Marina Mabrey, Satou Sabally, Katie Lou Samuelson.
Rose: Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Lexie Hull, Angel Reese, Azura Stevens, Brittney Sykes.
Vinyl: Aliyah Boston, Rae Burrell, Jordin Canada, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Arike Ogunbowale.

Unrivaled rules to know 

Unrivaled games start with three seven-minute quarters, and games end when the target winning score is reached in the fourth quarter. The target winning score is 11 points higher than the highest team’s score after the third quarter, known as the Elam Ending. 
Players also take just one free throw after being fouled: A free throw equals two or three points depending on the shooting foul. 
How long is the Unrivaled court size? It is 72 feet long by 49.2 feet wide. NBA and WNBA courts are 94 feet long and 50 feet wide. 

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The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals put a final end to former President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan on Tuesday.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey originally sued the Biden administration over its nearly $500 billion effort to wipe away student loans, known as the SAVE plan. The court’s Tuesday ruling found that Biden’s secretary of education had ‘gone well beyond this authority by designing a plan where loans are largely forgiven rather than repaid.’

Bailey noted in a statement that the ruling has no active impact beyond blocking future presidents from attempting Biden’s maneuver.

‘Though Joe Biden is out of office, this precedent is imperative to ensuring a President cannot force working Americans to foot the bill for someone else’s Ivy League debt,’ Bailey said in a statement.

The Supreme Court of the United States denied the Biden administration’s request to lift a block on the SAVE plan last year. A federal appeals court in Missouri had earlier blocked the entire SAVE program from being enforced while litigation over the merits continues in the lower courts. The Department of Justice, which is part of the Biden administration, most recently asked the high court for emergency relief.

The Biden administration argued the court went too far when it issued a nationwide injunction, which effectively put a temporary freeze on the SAVE plan.

‘Our Administration will continue to aggressively defend the SAVE Plan – which has helped over 8 million borrowers access lower monthly payments, including 4.5 million borrowers who have had a zero dollar payment each month,’ a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time. ‘And, we won’t stop fighting against Republican elected officials’ efforts to raise costs on millions of their own constituents’ student loan payments.’

Biden introduced SAVE after the Supreme Court struck down his initial student loan forgiveness plan. The White House said that the SAVE plan could lower borrowers’ monthly payments to zero dollars, reduce monthly costs in half and save those who make payments at least $1,000 yearly. Additionally, borrowers with an original balance of $12,000 or less will receive forgiveness of any remaining balance after making 10 years of payments.

Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

Read the full 8th Circuit ruling here:

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The Senate confirmed Howard Lutnick on Tuesday to serve as President Donald Trump’s secretary of commerce. 

The Republican-controlled Senate voted to confirm Lutnick on Tuesday, less than a week after senators voted to invoke cloture on his nomination. He needed a simple majority for a full Senate confirmation, getting confirmed on a 51- 45 tally on Tuesday.

Lutnick passed his procedural vote last week after the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted 16-12 to motion for cloture on Feb. 5. 

Lutnick said he aligns with Trump’s ‘trade and tariff agenda,’ which seeks to remedy trade imbalances by imposing reciprocal tariffs. His confirmation indicates a milestone for Trump’s America First policy agenda. 

Lutnick, chair and CEO of investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, is one of the wealthiest people to serve in a presidential administration. Lutnick vowed to divest his financial interests upon confirmation to remain impartial. 

‘My plan is to only serve the American people. So I will divest, meaning I will sell all of my interests, all of my business interests, all of my assets, everything,’ Lutnick said. ‘I’ve worked together with the Office of Government Ethics, and we’ve reached agreement on how to do that, and I will be divesting within 90 days upon my confirmation.’

During his confirmation hearing on Jan. 29, Lutnick said he would sell his businesses and elect someone else to lead them once confirmed. Lutnick aligned closely with Trump’s trade and tariff policies during the hearing. He said it’s ‘nonsense’ that tariffs create inflation and advocated for reciprocity. 

‘We are treated horribly by the global trading environment. They all have higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and subsidies. They treat us poorly. We need to be treated better. We can use tariffs to create reciprocity,’ Lutnick said.

Trump last week directed federal agencies to explore the implementation of reciprocal tariffs to remedy tariff imbalances imposed by countries that sell American products. The presidential memorandum directed Lutnick to study reciprocal trade relations within 180 days. Lutnick said Thursday he will have the report ready by April 1. 

Trump also announced last week a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports from all countries, adding up to a 35% tariff for Chinese steel and aluminum imports. The tariffs are set to begin March 12. 

Trump nominated Lutnick to serve as commerce secretary two weeks after he was elected. Lutnick was a co-chair of Trump’s 2024 presidential transition team. 

‘I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce. He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative,’ Trump said in the announcement.

Trump praised Lutnick’s leadership during the presidential transition and said he ‘created the most sophisticated process and system to assist us in creating the greatest Administration America has ever seen.’

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