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The 2025 St. Jude Championship delivered on all fronts. We saw golfers who were great all season shine. We saw some unexpected golfers finish near the top, and we saw an incredibly hot finish from Justin Rose to claim victory.

Rose birdied four of the last five holes in regulation to pull even with leader J.J. Spaun at 16-under. He then proceeded to birdie two of the three playoff holes to secure the win.

It was an incredible performance that had fans in awe whether they were in attendance in Memphis or not. Rose’s performance earned him an astonishing $3.6 million, nearly $1.5 million more than he would’ve earned had he finished in second-place.

Here’s what every golfer in the tournament earned based on their finish.

Prize Pool breakdown for 2025 St. Jude Championship:

1) Justin Rose: $3,600,000

2) J.J. Spaun: $2,165,000

T-3) Scottie Scheffler: $1,160,000

T-3) Tommy Fleetwood: $1,160,000

5) Cameron Young: $800,000

T-6) Akshay Bhatia: $670,333.33

T-6) Rickie Fowler: $670,333.33

T-6) Andrew Novak: $670,333.33

T-9) Ludvig Aberg: $501,000

T-9) Kurt Kitayama: $501,000

T-9) Patrick Cantlay: $501,000

T-9) Chris Kirk: $501,000

T-9) Ben Griffin: $501,000

T-14) Jhonattan Vegas: $361,000

T-14) Si Woo Kim: $361,000

T-14) Bud Cauley: $361,000

T-17) Hideki Matsuyama: $281,000

T-17) Russell Henley: $281,000

T-17) Sungjae Im: $281,000

T-17) Jacbo Bridgeman: $281,000

T-17) Sepp Straka: $281,000

T-22) Brian Harman: $186,166.67

T-22) Aaron Rai: $186,166.67

T-22) J.T. Poston: $186,166.67

T-22) Harry Hall: $186,166.67

T-22) Xander Schauffele: $186,166.67

T-22) Collin Morikawa: $186,166.67

T-28) Justin Thomas: $139,500

T-28) Sam Burns: $139,500

T-28) Maverick McNealy: $139,500

T-28) Taylor Pendrith: $139,500

T-32) Viktor Hovland: $111,166.67

T-32) Davis Riley: $111,166.67

T-32) Denny McCarthy: $111,166.67

T-32) Max Greyserman: $111,166.67

T-32) Kevin Yu: $111,166.67

T-32) Matt Fitzpatrick: $111,166.67

T-38) Nico Echavarria: $84,500

T-38) Patrick Rodgers: $84,500

T-38) Jordan Spieth: $84,500

T-38) Matti Schmid: $84,500

T-38) Robert MacIntyre: $84,500

T-38) Thomas Detry: $84,500

T-44) Ryan Gerard: $64,500

T-44) Keegan Bradley: $64,500

T-44) Nick Taylor: $64,500

T-44) Lucas Glover: $64,500

T-48) Stephan Jaeger: $53,900

T-48) Harris English: $53,900

T-50) Emiliano Grillo: $49,300

T-50) Corey Conners: $49,300

T-50) Cam Davis: $49,300

T-50) Ryan Fox: $49,300

T-54) Chris Gotterup: $46,800

T-54) Sam Stevens: $46,800

T-56) Mackenzie Hughes: $45,800

T-56) Jason Day: $45,800

T-56) Wyndham Clark: $45,800

T-59) Aldrich Potgeiter: $44,600

T-59) Michael Kim: $44,600

T-59) Shane Lowry: $44,600

T-62) Erik van Rooyen: $43,600

T-62) Jake Knapp: $43,600

T-64) Tom Hoge: $42,600

T-64) Brian Campbell: $42,600

T-64) Tony Finau: $42,600

67) Joe Highsmith: $41,800

T-68) Min Woo Lee: $41,200

T-68) Daniel Berger: $41,200

What is the next tournament in the FedEx Cup Playoffs?

The next leg of the 2025 FedEx Cup Playoffs will be the BMW Championship played at Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore, Maryland, on Aug. 14-17.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Shane van Gisbergen continues to prove he’s on a whole other level when it comes to road-course racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The Trackhouse Racing driver won the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday, Aug. 10 at Watkins Glen International for his fourth victory of the season, tying Denny Hamlin for most wins this season. According to the TV broadcast on USA Network, he also became the first rookie to win four Cup races in a single season.

Van Gisbergen previously won the road-course races at Mexico City and Sonoma, as well as the street-course race in Chicago. The only non-oval race that saw a winner of than van Gisbergen was the first road race of the season at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on March 2, 2025. He finished sixth behind Christopher Bell.

With his fourth consecutive road-course win, van Gisbergen tied Chase Elliott for second most all time. Elliott won four in a row between 2019 and 2020. Jeff Gordon holds the record with six consecutive victories on road courses.

Bell finished second Sunday at Wakins Glen, 2024 winner Chris Buescher took third, points leader William Byron came home fourth, and Chase Briscoe took fifth.

Van Gisbergen will enter the playoffs as one of the top seeds when the postseason begins Aug. 31 at Darlington Raceway. The 10-race playoffs will feature one more non-oval race on Oct. 5 in the Bank of America ROVAL 400 on the road course/oval hybrid at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

See below for full results from Sunday’s race:

NASCAR results today: Go Bowling at The Glen

Full results from Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International (with starting position in parentheses):

  1. (2) Shane Van Gisbergen, No. 88 Chevrolet
  2. (9) Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota
  3. (12) Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford
  4. (10) William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet
  5. (3) Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Toyota
  6. (1) Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford
  7. (19) Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Chevrolet
  8. (15) Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota
  9. (21) Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota
  10. (4) Ross Chastain, No. 1 Chevrolet
  11. (18) A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Chevrolet
  12. (29) Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota
  13. (17) Ryan Preece, No. 60 Ford
  14. (11) Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford
  15. (25) Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet
  16. (13) Austin Cindric, No. 2 Ford
  17. (33) Zane Smith, No. 38 Ford
  18. (8) Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Chevrolet
  19. (6) Michael McDowell, No. 71 Chevrolet
  20. (7) Alex Bowman, No. 48 Chevrolet
  21. (35) Noah Gragson, No. 4 Ford
  22. (5) Kyle Busch, No. 8 Chevrolet
  23. (34) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, No. 47 Chevrolet
  24. (28) Riley Herbst, No. 35 Toyota
  25. (22) Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota
  26. (20) Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet
  27. (23) Justin Haley, No. 7 Chevrolet
  28. (27) Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Ford
  29. (36) Cody Ware, No. 51 Ford
  30. (32) Ty Dillon, No. 10 Chevrolet
  31. (16) Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Ford
  32. (30) John H. Nemechek, No. 42 Toyota
  33. (14) Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota
  34. (31) Cole Custer, No. 41 Ford
  35. (24) Josh Berry, No. 21 Ford
  36. (37) Katherine Legge, No. 78 Chevrolet
  37. (39) Josh Bilicki, No. 66 Ford
  38. (38) J.J. Yeley, No. 44 Chevrolet
  39. (26) Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet

What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen start?

The Go Bowling at The Glen is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 10, at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen on?

The Go Bowling at The Glen will be broadcast on USA Network, the second time the Cup Series is on the channel this season. Pre-race coverage will start at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen?

Yes, the Go Bowling at The Glen will be streamed on HBO Max. The race can also be streamed on Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Watch NASCAR Cup races on Fubo

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen?

The Go Bowling at The Glen is 90 laps around the 2.450-mile road course for a total of 220.86 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 20 laps; Stage 2: 20 laps; Stage 3: 50 laps.

Who won the NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen last year?

What is the lineup for the Go Bowling at The Glen?

(Car number in parentheses)

  1. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
  2. (88) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
  3. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota
  4. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
  5. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
  6. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
  7. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
  8. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
  9. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
  10. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet
  11. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
  12. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
  13. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
  14. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
  15. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
  16. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
  17. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford
  18. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
  19. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
  20. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
  21. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
  22. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
  23. (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
  24. (21) Josh Berry, Ford
  25. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
  26. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
  27. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
  28. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
  29. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
  30. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
  31. (41) Cole Custer, Ford
  32. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
  33. (38) Zane Smith, Ford
  34. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
  35. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford
  36. (51) Cody Ware, Ford
  37. (78) Katherine Legge, Chevrolet
  38. (44) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet
  39. (66) Josh Bilicki, Ford
This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The younger Sanders has received less publicity than his older brother Shedeur so far this offseason, but is making his way just fine through the NFL thus far.

Sanders made his NFL debut on Saturday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took on the Tennessee Titans in preseason action. The rookie DB notched a tackle in the 29-7 Buccaneers win – something that would surely make his Hall of Fame pops Deion Sanders proud.

Proud enough to maybe gift his game-worn jersey, right? Not so fast, says Sanders.

‘He didn’t want it (the game-worn debut jersey),’ Sanders said with a laugh. ”Cause, you know he’s a Hall of Famer. He expects like 30 times more. He didn’t want my jersey. I’m gonna give it to my mom, though.’

What about as a birthday gift? (The elder Sanders’ birthday falls on Aug. 9.)

‘Nah, he don’t want it. I gotta get like three picks or something for him to want that,’ he added with a smile.

Sanders was an undrafted free agent pickup of the Bucs this offseason. There are few better landing spots for the Colorado product than with Tampa Bay and head coach Todd Bowles, who has fostered a reputation for building up solid safety play.

Well, as the saying goes: The standard is the standard, and there’s no better standard than that of a Hall of Famer – even if you are his son.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

New Orleans Saints 2025 second-round pick Tyler Shough got plenty of work in NOLA’s preseason matchup vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, playing the most out of the three quarterbacks who saw the field on Sunday.

Shough finished the matchup 15-of-22 passing for 165 yards, a touchdown and an interception, along with two sacks taken. He also threw a pick-6 to undrafted free-agent defensive back Eric Rogers on opposite sides of a ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment.

In all, it was a mixed-but-promising bag for the Louisville product. Head coach Kellen Moore seemed pretty pleased with Shough’s performance, he said after the game.

‘Great two-minute drive right before the half, I thought he did some really good things there, he felt under control,’ Moore said postgame. ‘I thought he was under control, I thought he managed the situations really, really well.’

Moore seemed pretty pleased with Shough’s ability to bounce back from the pick-6, throwing a long touchdown to Mason Tipton soon after.

‘You throw a pick, you gotta respond,’ Moore said. ‘Obviously, no one wants to throw an interception. The way he responded was really, really good. For him to come back and handle that from an emotional standpoint really well, I thought that was awesome.’

The Chargers downed the Saints, 27-13, in the matchup, and Shough’s performance might offer him a small lead in New Orleans’ wide-open quarterback competition that features Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener.

Shough finished the matchup with an 86.2 passer rating, pacing his QB room counterparts.

Tyler Shough stats vs. Chargers

Shough had a presentable performance vs. the Jim Harbaugh-coached Chargers in Week 1 of the NFL preseason. Here’s how he finished:

  • Completions/Attempts: 15/22
  • Passing yards: 165
  • Passing touchdowns: 1
  • Sacks: 2
  • Interceptions: 1 (pick-6)
  • Fumbles (lost): 0
  • Passer rating: 86.2
  • Rushing yards (attempts): 3 (1)
This post appeared first on USA TODAY

  • Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is holding in during training camp as he seeks a new contract.
  • Cook had a career year in 2024, rushing for 16 touchdowns and gaining 1,267 scrimmage yards.
  • Cook is in the final year of his rookie contract.

Sometimes there are too many cooks in the kitchen. Unfortunately for the Buffalo Bills, they don’t have any Cook at all.

Running back James Cook had a stellar season for the Bills in 2024, tallying 16 rushing touchdowns and 1,267 scrimmage yards for Buffalo.

While the recognition on the field and in headlines for Cook’s success has been plentiful, Cook feels as though that hasn’t been reciprocated in his bank account. The fourth-year running back has been an offseason hold-in as he seeks a new deal with Buffalo, one that hasn’t happened yet.

Now, the situation is still festering as preseason games get underway. Cook was dressed for Saturday’s opener vs. the New York Giants, but ended up not playing as the contract standoff continues.

Here’s the latest on Cook’s contract status and more:

James Cook contract news, updates

The third-year running back has been part of some meetings and walkthroughs, but has yet to practice during training camp with the team. He reported to mandatory mini-camp in June.

To make matters more confusing, Cook suited up for Buffalo’s preseason Week 1 matchup against the New York Giants on Aug. 9 and even went through pregame warmups, but he did not play in the game.

Following the game, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott attempted to get out in front of the situation, saying he had a good conversation with the running back in the day leading up to the game, and he was aware of Cook’s plan to suit up but not play.

‘He agreed to warm up, but not play due to his situation right now,’ McDermott said postgame. ‘So that’s where we’re at. So, no change.’

He continued: ‘I wanted him to play, but I don’t really want to go into it any further. There’s really no change at this point in time from what it was going into this weekend and the game today. … So, he warmed up like I said, but at this point, due to his situation and the position he’s in, he was not willing to play.’

Cook has been sitting out training camp practices as he looks for a new deal.

James Cook contract details

James Cook is in the final year of his four-year rookie contract, which totals $5,832,057. He will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2025 season if a deal with Buffalo is not reached.

James Cook stats

Cook put together an excellent season for the Bills in 2024. He totaled 1,009 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, the latter a career high. He also caught two touchdown passes and amassed 258 receiving yards as part of Buffalo’s high-powered offense.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (August 8) 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$116,454, down by 0.8 percent over the last 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Friday was US$115,979, while its highest valuation was US$117,038.

Bitcoin price performance, August 8, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

An executive order from the Trump administration about the addition of cryptocurrency investment options to federally regulated 401(k) retirement plans could trigger an influx of new capital and drive up Bitcoin’s price.

Separately, over US$1 billion in Bitcoin call options are set to activate if Bitcoin hits US$200,000 on December 26, when US$8.8 billion in options are set to expire; however, experts believe the presence of these call options reflects strategic positioning rather than a widespread belief in a year-end surge to that level. Cointelegraph analyst Marcel Pechman notes that pro traders are using far-out-of-the-money calls in structured strategies like diagonal spreads and inverse butterflies to manage risk and seek asymmetric upside, not as direct bets on extreme price targets.

Ethereum (ETH) was priced at US$4,053, up by 4.9 percent over the past 24 hours and its highest valuation of the day. Its lowest valuation on Friday was US$3,910 at the start of trading.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) was priced at US$178.05, up by 3.8 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Friday was US$174.86, and its highest was US$179.36.
  • XRP was trading for US$3.30, up by 6.6 percent in the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$3.22, and its highest price was US$3.35.
  • Sui (SUI) was trading at US$3.85, up 3.1 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$3.73, and its highest was US$3.86.
  • Cardano (ADA) was trading at US$0.7964, up by 4.2 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Friday was US$0.7787, and its highest was US$0.8022.

Today’s crypto news to know

Trump order opens door for crypto and private equity in 401(k)s

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the Department of Labor to review its fiduciary rules for retirement plans, potentially clearing the way for assets like cryptocurrencies, private equity and real estate to be included in 401(k)s. While no laws have changed, the move signals a potential shift from the Biden era.

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act still requires fiduciaries to choose “prudent” investments, meaning employers will need to justify the inclusion of volatile or opaque assets. Legal experts say the order could influence how federal agencies interpret the rules, but it won’t override decades of court precedents on fiduciary duty.

For now, employers remain cautious due to the risk of lawsuits over imprudent or overly expensive options. Crypto in 401(k)s remains rare, though large firms like BlackRock are already exploring target-date funds with alternative assets.

SEC and Ripple dismiss appeals, ending lawsuit

Ripple and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have dismissed their respective appeals, effectively ending a five-year lawsuit, as per a brief filing on Thursday (August 7) with the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

“Following the Commission’s vote today, the SEC and Ripple formally filed directly with the Second Circuit to dismiss their appeals,” Ripple’s chief legal officer, Stuart Alderoty, wrote on X.

The SEC sued Ripple in 2020 for selling XRP as an unregistered security. A July 2023 ruling by Judge Analisa Torres found XRP was not a security when sold on public exchanges, but was when sold to institutional investors.

The SEC appealed, and Ripple cross appealed. However, this past April, both parties filed a joint motion to pause their appeals, hinting at a settlement. They settled in May, asking Torres to dissolve the injunction and lower the US$125 million fine. She denied that in June, stating that Ripple must still follow federal securities laws.

Following the announcement, open interest in XRP grew by over 15 percent in 24 hours and futures volumes rose by over 233 percent, according to Coinglass data.

Parataxis to go public via SPAC merger

Bitcoin asset manager Parataxis announced its plan to go public by merging with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) called SilverBox Corp. IV on Wednesday (August 6).

The deal aims to raise up to US$640 million to “support acceleration of digital asset purchases and support long-term strategy.’ It implies a total pro forma equity value of up to US$800 million for the combined company, assuming the US$10 share price and no redemptions. The new public company will be named Parataxis Holdings and will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “PRTX.”

The company’s goal is to launch a yield-enhanced Bitcoin treasury strategy in the US and South Korea. The deal also includes an equity line of credit to raise additional funds. This will allow it to continue accumulating Bitcoin.

The company has already allocated US$31 million for an initial Bitcoin purchase.

Fundamental Global files to raise funds for ETH accumulation

Fundamental Global (NASDAQ:FGF), a new Ethereum treasury vehicle, has filed to raise US$5 billion, signaling the potential emergence of a new mega whale in the Ethereum market.

According to a Friday press release, the company aims to use the majority of the proceeds from a potential US$4 billion common stock offering to acquire a 10 percent stake in the Ethereum network.

“This US$5 billion shelf filing represents a significant step in our capital raising capabilities and positions us to move with speed and scale when capital deployment opportunities arise,” said CEO and Chairman Kyle Cerminara.

“We believe this framework will enable us to capitalize on ETH accumulation opportunities and support our target of a 10 percent stake in the Ethereum Network,’ he added.

Binance partners with Spain’s BBVA to bolster asset security

Binance is teaming up with Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Spain’s second largest bank, to give customers the option of storing their assets with a regulated custodian rather than directly on the exchange.

The arrangement is designed to reassure investors after Binance’s US$4.3 billion fine from US regulators in 2023 over anti-money laundering failures. With BBVA acting as an independent custodian, customer funds would remain secure even if Binance faced hacking, insolvency or further regulatory action.

The partnership leverages BBVA’s strong reputation for compliance and innovation, aiming to encourage more cautious investors to engage with crypto. The move also follows leadership changes at Binance, including founder Changpeng Zhao’s resignation and brief prison sentence, as the company works to repair its image.

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.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

This week saw tech stocks push the Nasdaq Composite (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC) to its best week since June.

However, on Monday (August 4), multiple news outlets reported that various Wall Street firms were warning of a near-term drop in the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) after its strong rally. In a note to clients, Mike Wilson of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) forecasts that tariffs, which went into effect this week, will lead to a 10 percent correction.

“Over the last couple of weeks, we have noted that investors should expect a modest pullback in the third quarter,” Wilson wrote. Julian Emanuel of Evercore (NYSE:EVR) anticipates a 15 percent drop. Additionally, Parag Thatte’s team at Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) points to an overdue drawdown following three months of equity expansion.

Markets appear to have disregarded the warnings, as economic data released this week has revived expectations for interest rate cuts. Stephen Miran, US President Donald Trump’s interim selection for Adriana Kugler’s position as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, has further fueled these expectations. According to CME Group’s (NASDAQ:CME) Fedwatch tool, traders now anticipate a nearly 90 percent probability of a rate cut next month.

Furthermore, exemptions to the Trump administration’s tariffs for companies investing in US manufacturing capacity led to a midweek rally in tech stocks that persisted through to Friday (August 8).

1. OpenAI’s busy week

On Wednesday (August 6), OpenAI unveiled the long-awaited GPT-5 version of ChatGPT, which CEO Sam Altman described as a “significant step” along the path to artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Altman declared that GPT-5 gives users PhD-level expert assistance on any subject, with fewer hallucinations, as well as superior coding abilities that could lead to an era of “software on demand.’

“Something like GPT-5 would be pretty much unimaginable in any other time in history,” he said during a pre-briefing with journalists on Wednesday. While GPT-5 exhibits signs of broad intelligence, Altman clarified that it lacks a key characteristic of AGI: the ability to learn and improve autonomously.

Concurrently, OpenAI for Government announced it is partnering with the US General Services Administration to offer ChatGPT Enterprise to the federal executive branch workforce for US$1 per agency for the next year.

In a statement to Wired, Altman said the agreement was part of Trump’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan, which is geared at leveraging AI to better serve the American people.

Additionally, the company reportedly engaged in early discussions this week for a secondary stock sale that would increase its valuation to US$500 billion. During an interview with Schwab Network, Ben Emons, chief investment officer and founder of FedWatch Advisors, said OpenAI’s valuation could hit US$1 trillion.

A recent report by the Information found that OpenAI has hit an annualized run rate of US$12 billion, roughly double the US$6 billion recorded in revenue in the first half of 2025.

OpenAI also introduced a pair of freely available models this week, which Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) will offer to cloud-computing clients.

2. Stocks react to chip tariff exemptions

Trump announced plans to impose a nearly 100 percent tariff on semiconductor chips on Wednesday, but carved out an exemption for companies investing in US manufacturing capacity.

After a meeting at the White House, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook pledged an additional US$100 billion investment in US manufacturing capacity, bringing its total commitment to US$600 billion over the next four years.

However, final assembly is expected to remain overseas “for a while,” according to Cook, and the announcement did not include any mention of future iPhone assembly in the US.

Apple performance, August 5 to 8, 2025.

Chart via Google Finance.

The pledge led to a significant market reaction, with Apple shares climbing over 4 percent, leading gains on Wall Street.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM) also saw strong gains after it was reported that National Development Council Chief Liu Chin-ching told parliament that the company will be exempt since it has factories in the US, referring to fabrication plants currently under construction in Arizona.

However, he added that some of Taiwan’s chipmakers will be affected.

Likewise, South Korean trade officials stated that Samsung Electronics (KRX:005930) and SK Hynix (KRX:000660) will both avoid the tariffs due to their investments in US manufacturing facilities. Samsung has two chip fabrication plants in Texas, while SK Hynix is building a new advanced chip packaging and R&D facility in Indiana.

3. Firefly Aerospace makes explosive Nasdaq debut

Firefly Aerospace (NASDAQ:FLY) made a strong debut on the Nasdaq Global Market on Thursday (August 7).

The stock opened at US$70 per share, a significant jump from its initial public offering price of US$45.

After first targeting between US$35 and US$39 per share, the company raised the price from US$41 to US$43 on Tuesday (August 5). Firefly was valued at over US$2 billion after a Series D funding round in November 2024.

Its opening price represented a further increase. After briefly topping US$73.80, the company closed its first day on the market at US$60.35, raising US$868.3 million and achieving a valuation of approximately US$8.5 billion.

The company experienced a moderate pullback on Friday, opening at US$54.85 before briefly touching US$57.07; it then closed the week at US$50.17.

4. Tesla desbands Dojo team

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk confirmed reports that the company is disbanding its Dojo supercomputer team, posting to X on Thursday evening:

“It doesn’t make sense for Tesla to divide its resources and scale two quite different AI chip designs.

“The Tesla AI5, AI6 and subsequent chips will be excellent for inference and at least pretty good for training. All effort is focused on that.”

Tesla intended for Dojo to facilitate the training of its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems.

Sources for Bloomberg, which first reported the story, said Tesla will rely on partners like NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) and Samsung for chip manufacturing.

This move contradicts Musk’s commitments to “double down on Dojo” during his company’s second quarter earnings call on July 23. The development follows a letter sent to shareholders by two Tesla directors on Monday explaining the board’s decision to grant Musk a US$23.7 billion stock award.

Robyn Denholm, chair of Tesla’s board of directors, and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, a director, said the decision was driven by Tesla’s transition from electric vehicles to AI and robotics.

The letter emphasizes the critical need to motivate Musk, stating that his involvement is essential for attracting and retaining talent at Tesla, especially as competition for AI talent intensifies.

5. Palantir reports solid growth in Q2

Major software company Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) reported its Q2 earnings on Monday, revealing revenue growth of 48 percent to US$1.003 billion. Shares of the company opened over 7 percent higher on Tuesday and continued to rise, finishing the week up nearly 18 percent.

Palantir Technologies performance, August 5 to 8, 2025.

Chart via Google Finance.

“This was a phenomenal quarter. We continue to see the astonishing impact of AI leverage,’ said Alex C. Karp, co-founder and CEO of Palantir, in a press release. “We are guiding to the highest sequential quarterly revenue growth in our company’s history, representing 50 percent year-over-year growth.”

Free cashflow rose by 282 percent to US$568.7 million. The company is projecting further revenue growth of around 49 percent in the third quarter. Its share price is up over 145 percent year-to-date after starting the year at US$76.20. As of Friday’s closing bell, shares of Palantir were trading for US$186.96.

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

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  • Bill Collins made a courageous stand against racism at the 1969 Liberty Bowl, facing down an all-white Alabama team alone during the coin toss.
  • Deion Sanders has a personal connection to Collins through gospel singer Kirk Franklin, whose wife is Collins’ daughter.
  • Sanders talked about Collins, who died on July 31, during his Aug. 8 preseason news conference.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders took some time out from his preseason news conference Friday Aug. 8 to honor a Black former Colorado player who made a courageous stand against an all-white Alabama team at the 1969 Liberty Bowl in Memphis.

That player was Bill Collins, who died July 31 in Dallas after a long battle with cancer. He was 76.

Collins played defensive tackle for the Buffaloes and was Colorado’s first Black captain for a full season. But what he’s best known for as a Buff is what he did before the Liberty Bowl at a time of heightened racial tension in the Deep South.

“He represented the Buffs at the pregame coin toss alone, and Alabama, yet to integrate, sent more than 40 players to the coin toss to try to intimidate him,” Sanders said. “And it didn’t work. CU won, 47-33.”

The university posted an obituary of Collins on Aug. 4 that described it as perhaps the “bravest moment in University of Colorado athletic history.”

Alabama had an all-white team back then and sent 40 white players to midfield for the pregame coin toss in Memphis, where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated the previous year.

The Buffs had seven Black players and a Black assistant coach. According to the obituary, Colorado’s other two team captains, Bobby Anderson and Mike Pruett, both white, walked with Collins toward midfield for the pregame coin toss but stopped a few yards short to let Collins take the last few steps to midfield by himself. They were making a statement against the Crimson Tide.

“Collins then approached the Tide horde solo to prove that he – and the Buffs – were not going to be intimidated by their racist, childish antics, starting with some Alabama fans spitting on the CU team as they took the field through a tunnel, and yelling the ‘N’ word at the CU bench and sideline, which lasted all game long,” the university obituary said.

Collins won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff, as captured on YouTube. Colorado won the game. Alabama didn’t racially integrate its team until two years later, in 1971.

Sanders was only 2 years old in 1969 but is linked to Collins not just as a Black coach at Colorado but also through a personal connection. He’s good friends with gospel singer Kirk Franklin, whose wife Tammy is Collins’ daughter.

“This is her father, so it’s a small world, small world,” Sanders said. “She called and told me about that, and before he passed, she said I was on the TV or something, and he stopped and said `Turn it up.’”

Sanders said he wants to honor Collins during a game this season, his third at Colorado. The Buffs open the season Aug. 29 at home against Georgia Tech.

Collins graduated from Colorado with a business degree and went to work for Xerox. He was the first Black player chosen by his teammates to be a team captain for the entire season.

HIs obituary in Dallas notes the moment.

‘If you want to learn more about his historic experiences during that time, you can research 1969 Liberty Bowl: Colorado’s Landmark Win,’ the obituary said. ‘He loved sharing that story as well as many others.’

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Two Japanese boxers have died from brain injuries suffered during separate fights at an Aug. 2 match in Tokyo, according to world boxing governing bodies.

Shigetoshi Kotari’s death was announced by the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization on Aug. 8. The death of Hiromasa Urakawa was announced by the WBO on Aug. 9.

Kotari, 28, had lost consciousness, according to the WBC, after a 12-round match, a draw, against Yamato Hata for Hata’s Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super featherweight title. Kotari was taken to the hospital and received emergency brain surgery for a subdural hematoma.

A subdural hematoma is a type of bleeding near the brain that can happen after a head injury, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

‘Deeply sorry for this loss a ring accident which makes all of us go back to continue research to find ways to make boxing safer and implement prevention programs,’ Mauricio Sulaimán, the WBC’s president, posted on social media. ‘Our deepest sympathy and condolences for his family and the boxing community in Japan.’

Urakawa, 28, also needed brain surgery, a craniotomy, after a six-round loss to Yoji Saito at the same event, the BBC reported, citing the Japan Boxing Commission.

‘We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and the Japanese boxing community during this incredibly difficult time,’ the WBO posted.

The commission has since lowered OPBF title bouts from 12 rounds to 10.

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