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Clippers force Game 7 against Nuggets: Highlights

Sport 4 Mins Read

The first Game 7 of the 2025 NBA playoffs is upon us. 

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Denver Nuggets 111-105 in Game 6 on Thursday to force a decisive Game 7 on Saturday. The Clippers led by as many as 15 points at home at the Intuit Dome, but the Nuggets went on a 15-5 run in the fourth quarter to come within five points with 58.1 seconds remaining. Denver wasn’t able to pull it off and missed out on an opportunity to close out the series. Now it’s anyone’s game.

James Harden led the way for the Clippers with 28 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Kawhi Leonard added 27 points and 10 rebounds, while Norman Powell had 21 points and three rebounds. 

Nikola Jokic finished with 25 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for Denver. Jamal Murray added 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. 

The Nuggets are 4-4 all-time in Game 7s, while the Clippers are 4-5. However, the Nuggets have had slightly better luck recently and have won two of their past three Game 7s, while the Clippers have lost three of their past four. The rested Oklahoma City Thunder await the winner of this series after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies.

Catch up on all the highlights from Game 6:

Final: Clippers 111, Nuggets 105

Highlights: Game 6

End of 3Q: Clippers 90, Nuggets 79

The Clippers began to pull away in the third quarter, building a lead as large as 15 against the Nuggets. L.A. managed to outscore the Nuggets 32-22. James Harden had 23 points and Kawhi Leonard had 22 points through three quarters. Norman Powell provided a spark with 11 of his 19 points in the third. Nikola Jokic was limited to just three points in the quarter. He had 20 points for the Nuggets in the first half.

Halftime: Clippers 58, Nuggets 57

The Clippers outscored the Nuggets 33-29 in the second quarter to take a 58-57 lead at halftime. 

James Harden has bounced back from his recent performances to score 21 points and shoot 7-of-10 from the field. He scored just 26 points combined in Games 4 and 5.

Kawhi Leonard added 13 points for the Clippers. 

Nikola Jokic leads the Nuggets with 20 points and Jamal Murray has 12 points, six assists and six rebounds for Denver.

End of 1Q: Nuggets 28, Clippers 25

The Los Angeles Clippers started the first quarter with some momentum, but Jamal Murray continued where he left off, scoring a game-high 12 points in the opening quarter for the Nuggets. 

The Nuggets lead the Clippers 28-25. 

Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell led the Clippers in scoring with six points each. L.A. went 1-for-10 from the three-point line in the quarter.

How to watch Nuggets vs. Clippers: Time, TV, streaming info

  • Time: 10 p.m. ET
  • TV: TNT
  • Stream: Fubo
  • Location: Intuit Dome (Inglewood, California)

Clippers starters

James Harden, Kris Dunn, Norman Powell, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac will start the game for Los Angeles, marking the same lineup the Clippers have used in the first five games of the series.

Denver Nuggets starting 5

The Nuggets are turning to the same starting lineup they’ve used the first five games of the first-round series — Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon.

Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard ready for Game 6 vs. Nuggets

Kawhi Leonard prepares for Game 6 as the Clippers host the Nuggets tonight. Through the first five games of the first-round series, Leonard has averaged 25.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 38.4 minutes per game.

Nuggets vs. Clippers Game 6 schedule

Game 6 of the NBA playoff series between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers is set to tipoff at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 1.

Where are the Clippers playing tonight?

The Clippers will host the Nuggets at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Kris Dunn stats

In his ninth season and first with the Clippers, Dunn averaged 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 74 regular-season games with a career-high 58 starts. Through the first five games of the playoff series against the Nuggets, Dunn is averaging 7.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists, while shooting 41.7% from the field and 39.1% from three. 

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Investing

Crypto Market Recap: Trump’s US$2B Stablecoin Deal with UAE Sparks Ethics Debate

Investing 6 Mins Read

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (April 30) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$93,992.22 as markets closed for the day, down 1.3 percent in 24 hours. The day’s range has seen a low of US$93,333.62 and a high of US$94,464.34.

Bitcoin performance, April 30, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Cryptocurrencies have fallen slightly after the US Department of Commerce revealed that US gross domestic product declined by 0.3 percent in Q1, in contrast to economists’ expectations for a 0.4 percent gain.

Wednesday’s reading marks the first decline since Q1 2022. “Multiple indicators are now showing a recession to be the base case expectation in 2025,” according to the Kobeissi Letter.

Ethereum (ETH) ended the day at US$1,782.75, a 1.9 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday low of US$1,750.28 and reached its daily high as the markets wrapped.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) ended the day valued at US$145.18, down 2.5 percent over 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$141.31 and peaked at $145.61.
  • XRP traded at US$2.19, reflecting a 4.3 percent decrease over 24 hours. The cryptocurrency recorded an intraday low of US$2.15 and reached its highest point at US$2.20.
  • Sui (SUI) was priced at US$3.41, showing a decreaseof four percent over the past 24 hours. It achieved a daily low of US$3.32 and a high of US$3.46.
  • Cardano (ADA) was trading at US$0.6808, down 3.6 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest price on Wednesday was US$0.6711, with a high of US$0.6862.

Today’s crypto news to know

Grayscale launches Bitcoin Adopters ETF

On Wednesday, Grayscale announced the launch of the Grayscale Bitcoin Adopters ETF on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol BCOR. The fund is based on the Indxx Bitcoin Adopters Index.

The launch of this exchange-traded fund (ETF) represents the growing interest in Bitcoin among corporations. According to Rahul Sen Sharma, president and Co-CEO at Indxx, public companies’ Bitcoin holdings increased by 16.1 percent in the year’s first quarter, valued at approximately US$57 billion. Roughly 3 percent of Bitcoin’s total supply is now held by companies globally, indicating a major shift in corporate treasury management.

Tether announces plans for US dollar stablecoin

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino announced in a CNBC interview on Wednesday afternoon that his company plans to launch a US dollar stablecoin in the US as early as the end of this year or in early 2026.

Tether’s existing USDT stablecoin is the leading US dollar exporter with a market cap of nearly US$150 billion; however, it is overshadowed in the US by Circle’s rival product, USDC.

Ardoino told CNBC that USDT was created for smaller, developing economies, and that its new product will be designed with features that cater specifically to the US market.

SEC postpones decisions on XRP and DOGE ETFs

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has extended its review period for two proposed spot cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to XRP and Dogecoin, delaying any decision until mid-June.

The agency cited a need for more time to evaluate the filings, specifically the Bitwise DOGE ETF and the Franklin XRP Fund, and the legal issues they raise.

Under federal securities law, the SEC is allowed up to 90 days from the initial publication to make a decision, and this delay appears to fall within that window. Analysts speculated that the delay was anticipated and aligns with broader expectations that most final rulings will land in the fall.

While DOGE and XRP prices saw little immediate movement, the delay signals the SEC’s continued caution around expanding ETF offerings beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Kraken launches ‘Embed’ service to let banks offer crypto trading

Crypto exchange Kraken is opening a new front in institutional crypto adoption with the launch of “Embed,” a plug-and-play crypto trading service for fintechs, neobanks, and traditional financial institutions.

Announced on Wednesday, the service enables companies to integrate crypto trading directly into their apps and websites using Kraken’s APIs, bypassing the need to build costly infrastructure or secure their own licenses.

Amsterdam-based digital bank Bunq is the first to roll out the new service, debuting ‘Bunq Crypto’ to let European users trade digital assets within its existing app.

According to Kraken’s head of payments, Brett McLain, the goal is to offer access to a wide range of tokens and fast asset listings, which he says sets Kraken apart from other white-label providers like Bitpanda.

Embed customers will pay variable service fees and share a portion of trading revenues with Kraken.

KuCoin pledges US$2 billion to Trust project

KuCoin announced a bold US$2 billion investment into what it’s calling the “Trust Project,” a sweeping initiative to restore user confidence and improve transparency across its platform.

The announcement was made during the TOKEN2049 conference in Dubai, where KuCoin executives laid out a roadmap focused on regulatory alignment, user protection, and responsible innovation.

A major component of the project involves giving the exchange’s native token, KCS, a larger role in governance, risk mitigation, and user reward structures. CEO BC Wong said the investment is aimed at securing the “long-term health” of the digital asset ecosystem by strengthening accountability and neutralizing systemic risks.

The initiative arrives as global regulators intensify their scrutiny of centralized exchanges and demand higher standards for custody, disclosures, and user safeguards.

Nasdaq files to list 21Shares Dogecoin ETF

In a fresh bid to tap into retail enthusiasm for meme coins, the Nasdaq has submitted a formal application with the SEC to list the 21Shares Dogecoin ETF, according to a 19b-4 filing released Tuesday.

The ETF is designed to track Dogecoin’s market performance via the CF DOGE-Dollar Settlement Price Index and will hold the token directly, without using leverage or derivatives.

Coinbase Custody Trust has been named as the fund’s official custodian, offering added legitimacy and security to the proposed vehicle. The filing comes in the wake of 21Shares’ S-1 registration and its partnership with the House of Doge — a corporate arm of the Dogecoin Foundation — to promote the fund.

Although the SEC recently delayed a decision on Bitwise’s similar DOGE ETF, Nasdaq’s move signals sustained momentum behind bringing more meme coin exposure to regulated markets.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Investing

Halcones Precious Metals Closes Non-Brokered Offering

Investing 5 Mins Read

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

Halcones Precious Metals Corp. (TSX-V: HPM) (the ‘ Company ‘ or ‘ Halcones ‘) announces it has closed, on an upsized basis, its previously-announced non-brokered private placement of units (the ‘ Offering ‘) of the Company (the ‘ Units ‘) pursuant to which the Company issued 10,204,153 Units at a price of $0.07 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $714,290.71. Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (‘ Common Share ‘) and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a ‘ Warrant ‘). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.10 per Common Share for a period of 36 months following the date hereof.

The Company plans to use the net proceeds of the Offering to continue the exploration work on its Polaris Project as well as for general corporate working capital purposes.

Insiders of the Company participated in the Offering and were issued an aggregate of 2,571,428 Units. Such participation in the Offering is a ‘related party transaction’ as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (‘ MI 61-101 ‘). The Offering is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the securities issued to insiders nor the consideration for such securities by insiders exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization.

In connection with the Offering, the Company paid cash finder’s fees of $9,099.30 and issued 129,990 finder’s warrants (the ‘ Finder Warrants ‘) to eligible finders. Each Finder Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.07 for a period of 36 months following the date hereof. The Offering remains subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About Halcones Precious Metals Corp.

Halcones is focused on exploring for and developing gold-silver projects in Chile. The Company has a team with a strong background of exploration success in the region.

For further information, please contact:

Vincent Chen, CPA
Investor Relations
vincent.chen@halconespm.com
www.halconespreciousmetals.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information

This press release contains ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, regarding the Offering, the Company’s intended use of proceeds from the Offering, the approval of the Offering by the TSXV, the Company’s ability to explore and develop its Polaris project and the Company’s future plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ‘plans’, ‘expects’ or ‘does not expect’, ‘is expected’, ‘budget’, ‘scheduled’, ‘estimates’, ‘forecasts’, ‘intends’, ‘anticipates’ or ‘does not anticipate’, or ‘believes’, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘would’, ‘might’ or ‘will be taken’, ‘occur’ or ‘be achieved’. Forward- looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Halcones, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; risks associated with operation in foreign jurisdictions; ability to successfully integrate the purchased properties; foreign operations risks; and other risks inherent in the mining industry. Although Halcones has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Halcones does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

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Consumers are not lovin’ it: McDonald’s has its worst quarter since 2020

Editor's pick 2 Mins Read

McDonald’s reported its worst quarterly sales for the United States since the height of the pandemic in 2020, the latest restaurant chain to be affected by America’s turbulent economic environment.

The burger giant reported U.S. same-store sales fell 3.6%, the largest three-month drop since Q2 2020, when they plunged 8.7%. Forecasts had been for a decline of just 1.7%.

‘Consumers today are grappling with uncertainty,’ McDonald’s Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a statement, as the chain cited lower guest counts.

In a follow-up call with investors, McDonald’s executives said that traffic among middle-income diners fell by ‘nearly double digits’ alongside an ongoing drop-off among low-income ones. As an example, they said more people appear to be skipping breakfast entirely to cut back on spending, or eating breakfast at home.

‘People are just visiting less,’ they said.

High-income traffic, meanwhile, remained stable, they said.

That reflects the economy writ large: While less-well-off consumers rein in transactions to focus on essentials, wealthy consumers continue to spend freely.

McDonald’s is the latest restaurant chain to report weak financial results amid signs that consumers are pulling back on discretionary spending. Chipotle, Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Shake Shack and Starbucks all saw slowing or declining sales in their quarter, with many citing particular weakness among lower-income consumers.

McDonald’s also reported revenues that missed forecasts for the third time in four quarters.

The more volatile economic environment that’s been accelerated by President Donald Trump’s tariffs policies is also being felt abroad.

On the call, company officials said that while the McDonald’s brand hadn’t been affected by worsening perceptions of the U.S. by overseas consumers, its internal surveys had picked up a notable uptick in anti-American sentiment, particularly among diners in northern Europe and Canada.

‘We have seen … an increase in people in various markets saying they’re going to be cutting back on purchases of American brands,’ they said.

It nevertheless maintained its full-year financial outlook, including plans to open 2,200 locations, which it said should help boost sales growth by slightly more than 2%. It said a promotional tie-in with the ‘Minecraft Movie’ had been a hit, and that its refreshed value offerings continued to position it strongly compared with competitors.

Still, officials said on the call that they remained “cautious about consumer sentiment.”

Shares fell 1.6% in early trading.

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Sport

Baffert-trained Rodriguez is late scratch for Kentucky Derby

Sport 2 Mins Read

There’s been a late scratch to the field for the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, and an intriguing new contender is joining the race.

Rodriguez, trained by Bob Baffert, has a foot bruise, co-owner Tom Ryan said in a post on X late Thursday afternoon.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have made a very tough decision to scratch our Derby horse, Rodriguez,” Ryan wrote. ‘He has a small but slightly sensitive foot bruise that will need a few more days. Therefore, we are resetting our plans and will target him for the Preakness.”

Baeza will now join the field for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, and the John Shirreffs-trained horse becomes a compelling pick for the first Triple Crown race of the year.

The half-brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage finished second behind Kentucky Derby favorite Journalism in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby last month, but didn’t receive enough points to initially qualify for this year’s Run for the Roses due to the size of the field at Santa Anita. Baeza instead spent this week at Churchill Downs as the top of the also-eligible list for the 20-horse field, hoping for a development like the one announced Thursday.

Scratch time is 9 a.m. on Friday morning.

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ESPN cuts away from future Hall of Famer’s farewell: What you missed

Sport 2 Mins Read

The Vegas Golden Knights’ clinching 3-2 victory in Game 6 put them in the second round of the NHL playoffs and ended the Minnesota Wild’s season.

It also was the end of the career of future Hall of Fame goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who backed up on Thursday after getting into part of Game 5 because of Filip Gustavsson’s illness. Fleury, the 2003 No. 1 overall pick, previously announced that this was his final season.

He finishes with three Stanley Cup titles with the Pittsburgh Penguins, a Vezina Trophy and another trip to the Final with the Golden Knights and 575 regular-season wins, second best in NHL history.

ESPN had a second game to broadcast Thursday night and cut away from the handshake line before Fleury went through in order to show the intro of the Los Angeles Kings-Edmonton Oilers game.

ESPN later showed video of Fleury in the handshake line during the intermission of the Kings-Oilers game. But here’s what you missed from Fleury’s last time on the ice, courtesy of agent Allan Walsh and others:

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Ashton Jeanty talks draft, fit in Las Vegas, 2025 goals

Sport 7 Mins Read

The 2025 NFL Draft featured one of the best running back classes in the modern era.

It came at an opportune time, as teams are running the ball better than at any time in the last three decades. The league average of 119.8 rushing yards per game last season is behind only 2022 (121.6) for the most since 1988.

In a talented, deep class, most experts agreed on the top prospect: Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.

Jeanty had one of the best seasons by a running back in college football history as the Broncos made their first appearance in the College Football Playoff. That was enough for the Las Vegas Raiders to select Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick in the draft.

In doing so, Las Vegas made Jeanty the highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley in 2018. Here’s how he got there and his hopes for his rookie season in 2025.

Ashton Jeanty’s historic run at Boise State

A child of a military family, Jeanty moved a lot with stints in Florida, Georgia, Virginia and even Italy before settling in Frisco, Texas.

That helped him adapt quickly to multiple new environments as a young player.

‘In football, there’s always a change or there’s always something that doesn’t go your way,’ Jeanty said. ‘Being in a military family, always having to constantly pack up and move, I think (I could) connect with everybody on the team and build new relationships quickly.’

Jeanty played defensive line, safety and slot receiver before settling in as a running back as a senior at Lone Star High School. His 1,843 rushing yards and 41 total touchdowns earned him 15 college offers, with Boise State earning his commitment.

In 2023, Jeanty earned Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors as the top running back in the league. Power 4 conference teams came calling for his services but he chose to stay with the Broncos.

Behind his near-historic season last fall, the Broncos made the College Football Playoff and faced off in the Fiesta Bowl against Penn State. The Broncos lost 31-14 but still achieved unprecedented success for the program.

‘That was everything,’ Jeanty said. ‘Just the fact that we were able to make it there and make history. … That’s what we had talked about starting in January and worked at it, took it day by day and able to accomplish it as a team.’

Jeanty finished the 2024 college season with 2,601 rushing yards. That’s the second-most since 1956 and only surpassed by Barry Sanders’ 1988 season (2,628 rushing yards).

Jeanty’s impact on Boise State isn’t over now that he’s in the NFL. Thanks to the money he earned through the school’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) fund, he set up the ‘Ashton Jeanty Endowed Scholarship for Football’ to help support future Boise State athletes.

‘Some of the things that you learn in school are invaluable,’ Jeanty said. ‘Growing up, experiencing life, experiencing being an adult for the first time, having to do things on your own. College really sets you up for later in life and the years 18 through 25, college is four of those years that can set you up for the rest of your life. … I’m hoping to give other people an opportunity.’

NFL draft night 2025

There was little doubt Jeanty would hear his name called early.

Roughly 75% of his 2,601 rushing yards in 2024 came after contact, and that alone would’ve easily led the country in rushing last season. That quantifies one of his most elite tools: contact balance. It’s Jeanty’s calling card as defenders bounce off of him as he churns out more yards.

‘Some of it’s God-given talent but also just the work I’ve put in from the weight room and studying how people tackle,’ Jeanty said of his contact balance. ‘Then it comes to game time and you see how a defender tackles you, how you can evade, avoid and bounce off defenders. For me, I like to make contact first so I can bounce off them but it takes a little thinking and processing to do it.’

That film time studying how defenders tackle keys Jeanty in to the best approach.

‘Guys who wrap up, guys who like to lead with their shoulders, guys who form tackle – do they tackle high or do they tackle low, are they someone to kind of sit and wait to see which direction you’re going or are they coming downhill?’ he said. ‘All of that just helps your analyzing and then you make your move.’

Las Vegas made its move on the clock at No. 6 overall. Raiders general manager John Spytek made the call to the top prospect.

‘We’re about to make you a Raider,’ Spytek told Jeanty over the phone. ‘As Mr. Davis would love me to say, welcome to the dark side, my friend.’

‘We’re proud to take you, proud to get you, this’ll be so much fun for you and for all of us,’ Raiders coach Pete Carroll told him.

Jeanty was a fan of former Seahawks and Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch as a kid, making the fit even better.

His first call after getting drafted was to Boise State running backs coach James Montgomery.

‘Shout-out to Verizon for putting it together and getting us on the phone,’ Jeanty said. ‘It was an amazing moment. First thing, he answered the call and we’re both laughing because that’s our relationship. We have a lot of fun together and sometimes it didn’t feel like he was my coach, he just felt like he was one of my guys.’

‘It was great being able to call him right after the moment because he’d done so much to help me get where I’m at,’ Jeanty added. ‘I don’t think people realize how important it is to have a great coach along with the skill set and abilities that you have to bring those to life.’

Ashton Jeanty’s goals for rookie season

Jeanty is one of many new faces on the Raiders’ offense for 2025. Las Vegas has a new starting quarterback in Geno Smith and a host of rookie wide receivers, including Jack Bech, Dont’e Thornton and Tommy Mellott to compliment star tight end Brock Bowers in the passing game.

‘They’ve already got some great pieces that they’ve added and I hope to be another piece that brings it all together,’ Jeanty said.

Las Vegas made Chip Kelly the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league after hiring Carroll as head coach. Both coaches have traditionally looked to run first on offense, making Jeanty a key piece in that plan for success.

The Raiders face a relatively tough schedule in 2025. Six of their games come against AFC West foes who all made the playoffs in 2024. They’re also facing the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Jeanty’s keeping a wider perspective for his rookie season priorities.

‘The biggest goal for me is being a great teammate and having an early impact,’ Jeanty said. ‘Hopefully with the team, making the playoffs. Then individual success like Offensive Rookie of the Year, rushing for 1,000-plus yards, those will come with the team success.’

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Nvidia says Anthropic is telling ‘tall tale’ in its defense of U.S. AI chip restrictions on China

Editor's pick 2 Mins Read

Nvidia blasted Anthropic Thursday in a rare public clash over artificial intelligence policy with U.S. chip export restrictions set to take effect.

“American firms should focus on innovation and rise to the challenge, rather than tell tall tales that large, heavy, and sensitive electronics are somehow smuggled in ‘baby bumps’ or ‘alongside live lobsters,’ ” a spokesperson for Nvidia said.

Anthropic, the AI startup backed by billions from Amazon, argued for tighter controls and enforcement, saying in a blog post Wednesday that Chinese smuggling tactics involved chips hidden in “prosthetic baby bumps” and “packed alongside live lobsters.”

Chip restrictions from former President Joe Biden’s term, called the “AI Diffusion Rule,” are set to take effect May 15. The rule puts global export controls on advanced AI chips and model weights to prevent rival nations like China from gaining ground in an escalating AI arms race.

President Donald Trump is reportedly working on updating these restrictions, adding another layer of uncertainty to the already contentious policy.

Anthropic, which relies heavily on Nvidia hardware to train its models, is calling for tighter restrictions that could limit Nvidia’s overseas business and revenue from chip sales.

Anthropic argued that compute access is the key strategic chokepoint in the race to build frontier AI. The company proposed lowering the export threshold for Tier 2 countries, tightening the rules to reduce smuggling risks, and increasing funding for enforcement.

“Maintaining America’s compute advantage through export controls is essential for national security and economic prosperity,” Anthropic wrote.

In a sharply worded response to Anthropic, an Nvidia spokesperson blasted the use of policy to limit competitiveness.

“China, with half of the world’s AI researchers, has highly capable AI experts at every layer of the AI stack. America cannot manipulate regulators to capture victory in AI,” the spokesperson said.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who visited with Chinese trade officials in mid-April, said Wednesday in Washington, D.C. that China is “not behind” the U.S. in AI and praised Huawei as a top global tech company.

“They’re incredible in computing and network technology, all these essential capabilities to advance AI,” Huang said. “They have made enormous progress in the last several years.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Amazon is stepping up to fill a gap in Hollywood’s movie slate

Editor's pick 4 Mins Read

Tech is saving Hollywood — though not in the way you might think.

Back in 2022, e-commerce giant and relative upstart movie studio Amazon promised to spend around $1 billion each year on theatrical releases, a figure that would fund between 12 and 15 films annually. Today, it appears ready to deliver.

Earlier this month, the company, which operates the streaming platform Prime Video and recently acquired MGM studios, took the stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to tout its line-up of movies made just for the big screen.

Amazon’s inaugural presentation at the annual convention of Cinema United — previously known as the National Association of Theatre Owners — wowed exhibitors, marketers and media in attendance with flashy trailers and first-look footage from upcoming films like “Project Hail Mary,” “After the Hunt” and “Verity.”

It also brought some star power with the likes of Ryan Gosling, Andrew Garfield, Julia Roberts, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman and Michael B. Jordan set to headline these cinematic releases.

“I thought the presentation was incredible,” said Brock Bagby, president and chief content, programming and development officer at B&B Theatres. “For their first year out, they pulled out all the stops.”

While the studio won’t have a full slate of more than a dozen films until 2026, it has steadily invested in theatrical content over the last few years. Amazon had one wide release, a film that played in more than 2,000 theaters, in 2023 and five in 2024. This year Amazon has only four wide releases on the calendar so far, but the company is slated to have 14 in 2026 and 16 in 2027.

This surge of theatrical content is just what the domestic box office needs. While blockbuster franchise films have been abundant in the wake of the pandemic, the overall number of wide releases has shrunk over the last decade. Even before Covid and dual Hollywood labor strikes slowed production down, Hollywood was making fewer and fewer movies each year, according to data from Comscore. 

Mid-budget movies — often in the drama, comedy and romantic comedy genres — began disappearing in the mid-2010s as studios sought to invest in bigger budget franchise flicks that could result in higher profits. The comparatively lower-budget films have since been predominantly redirected to streaming platforms in an effort to stock these services with more affordable content. 

Analysts project that the domestic box office has lost around $1 billion each year in total ticket sales as a result of that shift.

At the same time that studios were altering their film slates, movie houses were merging. The most recent union between the Walt Disney Company and 20th Century Fox, first announced in 2017 and finalized in early 2019, resulted in the loss of between 10 and 15 film releases annually, according to data from Comscore.

In 2015, 20th Century Fox released 17 films. After its acquisition, the pandemic and the strikes, it has released fewer than a half dozen titles each year.

“With consolidation in the past of some of the studios, the output numbers have decreased over the past few years, and with fewer releases there is less potential for box office and concession sales,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “More importantly movie theaters need new films to draw customers into their auditoriums.”

Amazon’s commitment to theatrical, alongside the emergence of smaller studios like Neon and A24, should help to close the gap left by 20th Century Fox’s acquisition.

“They’ve filled the gap that we’re missing from Fox, which is so exciting, and it looks like a similar slate to Fox, where there’s a few big titles, but a lot of that mid-range,” Bagby said.

What industry experts have discovered is that the strength of the box office doesn’t just rely on the success of franchise films — superhero flicks, big-budget action fare and the like — but also on the sheer volume and diversity of content.

There is a direct correlation between the number of theatrical releases and the strength of the overall box office. During the pandemic, the decline in box office ticket sales largely tracked nearly in lock step with the percentage decline in film releases.

“The number of movies being released continues to trend in the right direction,” said Michael O’Leary, CEO of Cinema United. “When considering wide releases at 2,000 or more locations, we saw 94 last year, but we expect at least 110 in 2025. Beyond that, distributors have secured release dates as far out as 2028 for movies with plenty of commercial potential.”

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Tesla denies report that the EV maker is looking to replace Elon Musk

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Shares of Tesla were flat in premarket trading Thursday after the EV maker denied a Wall Street Journal report that its board was searching for a replacement for chief executive Elon Musk.

The report, citing comments from sources familiar with the discussions, said that Tesla’s board members reached out to several executive search firms to work on a formal process for finding the company’s next CEO. Shares of Tesla fell as much as 3% in overnight trading on trading platform Robinhood following the news, before paring losses.

Tesla chair Robyn Denholm wrote on the social media platform X that the report was “absolutely false.”

“Earlier today, there was a media report erroneously claiming that the Tesla Board had contacted recruitment firms to initiate a CEO search at the company,” she wrote.

Elon Musk during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday.Evan Vucci / AP

“This is absolutely false (and this was communicated to the media before the report was published). The CEO of Tesla is Elon Musk and the Board is highly confident in his ability to continue executing on the exciting growth plan ahead.”It comes after a sharp drop in the electric vehicle giant’s sales and profits, with its top and bottom lines missing estimates in the first quarter. Musk has admitted that his involvement with the Trump administration could be hurting the automaker’s stock price.

The mega-billionaire said on a Tesla earnings call last week that he plans to spend just a “day or two per week” running the so-called Department of Government Efficiency beginning in May.Tesla’s total revenue slipped 9% year-on-year to hit $19.34 billion in the January-March quarter. This falls short of the $21.11 billion forecast by analysts, LSEG data shows.

Revenue from its automotive segment declined 20% year-on-year to $14 billion, as the company needed to update lines at its four vehicle factories to start making a refreshed version of its popular Model Y SUV. Tesla also attributed the decline to lower average selling prices and sales incentives as a drag on revenue and profit.

Its net income plunged 71% to $409 million, or 12 cents a share, from $1.39 billion or 41 cents a year ago.

Since the start of the year, its shares have plunged over 30%.

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