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US President Donald Trump scored a temporary reprieve in his ongoing trade war efforts after a federal appeals court stayed a lower court’s decision that struck down most of his global tariffs.

The Thursday (May 29) decision allows the administration’s controversial import duties to remain in place for now.

The decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit provides breathing room for Trump and his trade team as they prepare a full appeal, following a blistering Wednesday (May 28) night ruling by the US Court of International Trade that invalidated nearly all of the Trump-imposed tariffs not tied to national security.

The trade court found Trump overstepped under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, saying it “does not confer such unbounded authority” to enact sweeping economic penalties without congressional oversight.

The decision jeopardized key components of Trump’s aggressive tariff program — including a blanket 10 percent import tax and recent “reciprocal tariffs” targeting countries like China, Canada, Mexico and members of the European Union.

But for now, the tariffs will remain in effect. The appellate court granted the Trump administration’s request to pause enforcement of the trade court’s order “until further notice while this court considers the motions papers.”

The next hearing is set for June 5.

White House reacts swiftly, blasts judicial overreach

Trump administration officials reacted with fury to the trade court’s initial decision, describing it as an affront to executive authority in foreign policy and economic matters.

“The political branches, not courts, make foreign policy and chart economic policy,” the White House said in its appeal filing. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed similar concerns on Thursday, saying:

“America cannot function if President Trump, or any other president for that matter, has their sensitive diplomatic or trade negotiations railroaded by activist judges.”

Trump himself took to social media on Thursday morning to vent, writing: “Hopefully, the Supreme Court will reverse this horrible, Country threatening decision, QUICKLY and DECISIVELY.”

He later added: “This would completely destroy Presidential Power — The Presidency would never be the same!”

Peter Navarro, Trump’s top trade advisor, also signaled that the administration was already exploring alternatives, stating that even if it lost the battle in the Supreme Court, it “will do it another way.”

The Wednesday judgment had required the White House to make changes within 10 days.

The administration responded by notifying both the trade court and the appellate court of its intent to challenge the ruling all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary.

“TACO trade” meme gains steam as Trump backpedals

Adding to the storm surrounding the tariffs is growing traction of the term “TACO trade” — a satirical acronym coined by Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong that stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out.”

The phrase has caught fire on Wall Street and social media, referring to Trump’s habit of threatening steep tariffs, only to roll them back amid market backlash or diplomatic pressure.

The phenomenon was on full display last month, when Trump announced what he called “Liberation Day,” unveiling sweeping tariffs as high as 145 percent on imports from nearly every major trading partner.

Within a week, those tariffs were scaled down to a baseline 10 percent. Duties on Chinese goods were first reduced to 30 percent and then to 10 percent, while deadlines for tariffs on European goods were postponed.

On Wednesday, visibly irritated by the nickname, Trump lashed out at a reporter who asked about the “TACO trade” label. “Oh, I chicken out. Isn’t that nice? I’ve never heard that,” Trump said, bristling at the question.

“You call that chickening out? It’s called negotiation,” he added.

“Six months ago, this country was stone cold dead. We had a dead country. We had a country that people didn’t think was going to survive. And you ask a nasty question like that,’ Trump continued.

Despite his protests, “TACO trade” has become a viral symbol of his erratic approach to global commerce. California Governor Gavin Newsom mocked the administration after the trade court ruling, saying, “It’s raining tacos today.”

So far, the administration’s tariffs on steel, aluminum and cars remain untouched by the ruling.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

11 Mins Read

Top 5 Canadian Mining Stocks This Week: Adyton Sparkles with 97 Percent Gain

Statistics Canada reported on Friday (May 30) that real gross domestic product (GDP) gained 0.5 percent during the first quarter of 2025. Even on a per capita basis, real GDP posted a strong 0.4 percent increase.

The agency primarily attributed the rise to a 1.6 percent increase in exports during the quarter. The higher export amounts were led by a 16.7 percent growth in passenger vehicle exports and a 12 percent rise in industrial machinery, equipment and parts exports, both of which were driven higher in response to imposed and threatened tariffs from the United States.

On a monthly basis, the GDP registered a 0.1 percent gain in March, following a 0.2 percent contraction in February. The most significant contributor to the rise came from the resource sector, which posted a 2.2 percent increase, with oil and gas gaining 2 percent.

When it came to mining, metal ore mining rose 1.7 percent overall. Copper, nickel, lead and zinc recorded a 2.4 percent gain, while the other metal mining category increased by 16.9 percent. However, a 3.1 percent decline in gold and silver mining hindered overall growth across the subsector.

South of the border, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released its second estimate for first quarter GDP on Thursday (May 29). Its figures indicated that GDP contracted 0.2 percent in the first three months of the year, down significantly from a 2.4 percent gain in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The Bureau attributed the decline to an increase in imports and a decrease in government spending. However, the agency also noted that upturns in investment and exports partially offset the fall during the quarter.

On Friday, the BEA released April’s personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index. The data shows that on an annual basis, all items PCE growth had further slowed to 2.1 percent compared to the 2.3 percent recorded in March. PCE less the volatile food and energy categories also slowed on an annual basis, up 2.5 percent in April compared to 2.7 percent in March.

The PCE is the preferred inflationary measure used by the US Federal Reserve to set its benchmark interest rate, the Federal Funds Rate. The slowing pace is currently in line with the central bank’s 2 percent target goal. Still, with uncertainty surrounding tariffs and US economic policy, most analysts expect the Fed to maintain the rate at the current 4.25 to 4.5 percent range when it next meets on June 18 and 19.

Markets and commodities react

In Canada, major indexes were mixed at the end of the week.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) gained 0.9 percent during the week to close at 26,175.05 on Friday. However, the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) fell 0.02 percent to 694.40 and the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) shed 3.78 percent to 115.01.

US equities were in positive territory this week, with the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) gaining 2.24 percent to close at 5,911.68, the Nasdaq-100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) rising 2.57 percent to 21,340.99 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) adding 1.79 percent to 42,270.08.

The gold price was flat this week, posting a loss of just 0.04 percent, to close Friday at US$3,293.21. The silver price was also marginally down, shedding 0.54 percent during the period to US$32.87.

In base metals, the COMEX copper price fell 3.47 percent over the week to US$4.72 per pound, pulling back from its gains seen late last week. Meanwhile, the S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) posted a decline of 1.57 percent to close at 524.66.

Top Canadian mining stocks this week

How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?

Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.

Stock data for this article was retrieved at 4 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included. Companies within the non-energy minerals and energy minerals sectors were considered.

1. Adyton Resources (TSXV:ADY)

Weekly gain: 96.55 percent
Market cap: C$59.79 million
Share price: C$0.285

Adyton Resources is working to advance the Feni Island and Fergusson Island gold projects in Papua New Guinea.

The Feni Island site has seen historic exploration, with 212 holes drilled over 18,813 meters. While limited work has been conducted by Adyton, a 2021 resource estimate shows an inferred resource of 1.46 million ounces of gold. The company has been working to expand its gold resource and explore for copper at greater depths than previous exploration.

While Feni Island has been its primary focus, Adyton has also been working to advance its Fergusson Island project.

The project consists of two advanced exploration licenses for the Wapolu and Gameta targets, which host a combined indicated resource of 173,000 ounces of gold and an inferred resource of 540,000 ounces of gold. The site also hosts a past-producing mine, which was abandoned in the 1990s.

On March 12, Adyton reported that a team from the Papua New Guinea Mineral Resource Authority had visited the Fergusson Island site to familiarize themselves with the project and to provide an approval process for the restart of the mine.

The most recent news from Adyton came on Wednesday (May 28), when it released its first quarter management discussion and analysis. In the report, the company provided a summary of its activities during the first quarter and demonstrated an increase in its balance sheet compared to the previous quarter.

2. Sterling Metals (TSXV:SAG)

Weekly gain: 80.77 percent
Market cap: C$15.15 million
Share price: C$0.47

Sterling Metals is an exploration company working to advance a trio of projects in Canada.

Over the past year, its primary focus has been on exploration at its brownfield Soo copper project in Ontario, which it recently renamed from Copper Road. The 25,000 hectare property hosts two past-producing copper mines and has the potential for larger intrusion-related copper mineralization.

On January 15, Sterling announced results from a 3D induced polarization and resistivity survey that covered an area of 5 kilometers by 3 kilometers and revealed multiple high-priority drill-ready targets. The company intends to use the survey results, along with historical exploration, to inform a drill program at the site.

The company’s other two projects are located in Newfoundland and Labrador. Adeline is a 297 square kilometer district-scale property with sediment-hosted copper and silver mineralization along 44 kilometers of the strike, and Sail Pond is a silver, copper, lead and zinc project that hosts a 16 kilometer long linear soil anomaly and has seen 16,000 meters of drilling.

On Thursday, Sterling announced that the first of four diamond drill holes from the initial drill program at Soo ‘demonstrated a continuous, bulk-tonnage copper-molybdenum-silver-gold target, called the GFP Porphyry.’ The company highlighted a broad, near-surface zone grading 0.28 percent copper equivalent over a length of 482.8 meters, which included an intersection of 0.56 percent copper equivalent over the first 75.2 meters.

3. Grid Battery Metals (TSXV:CELL)

Weekly gain: 58.33 percent
Market cap: C$23.19 million
Share price: C$0.095

Grid Battery Metals is a North America battery metals company with a portfolio of lithium projects in Nevada, US, including the Clayton Valley lithium project. The company also recently acquired the Grid copper-gold project in North-central British Columbia, Canada.

The project consists of 17 claims covering a total land package of 27,525 hectares in the Omineca Mining Division near Fort St. James. Grid announced on March 17 that it had completed the acquisition of the property from former Grid subsidiary AC/DC Battery Metals (TSXV:ACDC) in exchange for 5 million shares in Grid at C$0.05 per share as well as a C$48,172.15 payment for staking costs.

The property has seen minimal exploration, but a technical report for the site included a mineral resource estimate for the neighboring Kwanika-Stardust project owned by Northwest Copper (TSXV:NWST,OTC Pink:NWCCF).

The Kwanika Central Zone hosts measured and indicated resources of 385.7 million pounds of copper, 532,500 ounces of gold and 1.97 million ounces of silver from the open pit area, as well as 410.6 million pounds of copper, 738,000 ounces of gold and 1.9 million ounces of silver from the underground portion.

Shares in Grid saw gains this week, but the company’s most recent project-related news came on May 20, when it announced it had engaged with Hardline Exploration to begin to begin work at the property.

4. EMP Metals (CSE:EMPS)

Weekly gain: 54.17 percent
Market cap: C$40.79 million
Share price: C$0.37

EMP Metals is a lithium exploration and development company working to advance its EMP direct lithium extraction project in Saskatchewan, Canada. The project is composed of three prospective lithium brine properties covering an area of 81,000 hectares.

A February 2024 preliminary economic assessment for the lithium brines in the Viewfield area of Southern Saskatchewan suggests a resource of 130,056 metric tons of lithium in place from a total brine volume of 1.06 billion cubic meters.

The economics of the project indicate an after-tax net present value at a discount rate of 8 percent of C$1.44 billion with an internal rate of return of 45.1 percent over a payout period of 2.4 years.

Shares in EMP gained this past week after it announced on Thursday it entered into a deal with Saltwork Technologies to develop, build and operate a lithium refining demonstration plant at the Viewfield property.

Once complete, the plant will process 10 cubic meters per day of lithium brine into concentrated lithium chloride. Additionally, Saltworks will upgrade its lithium conversion plant in Richmond, British Columbia, to continuously process lithium chloride into lithium carbonate.

5. Mogotes Metals (TSXV:MOG)

Weekly gain: 54.05 percent
Market cap: C$48.46 million
Share price: C$0.285

Mogotes Metals is an explorer working to advance its Filo Sur copper-gold-silver project, which straddles the border between Argentina and Chile in the Vicuña copper district.

The Argentinean portion of the site, representing the bulk of the land package at 8,118 hectares, is the subject of an earn-in agreement with Golden Arrow Resources (TSXV:GRG,OTCQB:GARWF), a member of the Grosso Group.

On March 26, Mogotes announced that it had closed an amended deal that would provide the company with 100 percent ownership of the project. Under the terms of the deal, Mogotes paid Golden Arrow C$550,000 in cash, issued 10.71 million common shares and invested C$450,000 in Golden Arrow via a private placement. The terms also include future commitments.

The company’s most recent news came on May 12, when it announced that the first line of a geophysical survey had identified a large, near surface anomaly located 2.8 kilometers south of Lundin Mining’s (TSX:LUN,OTCQX:LUNMF) Filo Del Sol project.

FAQs for Canadian mining stocks

What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?

The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.

How many mining companies are listed on the TSX and TSXV?

As of February 2025, there were 1,572 companies listed on the TSXV, 905 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,859 companies, with 181 of those being mining companies.

Together the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.

How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?

There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.

The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.

These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.

How do you trade on the TSXV?

Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.

Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.

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

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

4 Mins Read

NVIDIA Rallies After Strong Q1, AI Demand Outshines China Export Hit

NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares rose over 5 percent to hit US$142.50 on Thursday (May 29), extending a powerful rally that reflects Wall Street’s optimism in the chipmaker’s long-term trajectory

The company’s positive performance came despite a bruising blow from US export restrictions to China.

The semiconductor giant, seen by many industry experts as the backbone of the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom, reported better-than-expected financial results for its first fiscal quarter of 2026 on Wednesday (May 28), allaying fears that geopolitical tensions and tighter trade controls could derail its momentum.

In the face of a projected US$8 billion revenue hit from the export ban on China and a US$4.5 billion writedown on unsold inventory, investors appeared to focus on NVIDIA’s dominant position in the fast-expanding AI market.

“There is one chip in the world fueling the AI Revolution and it’s Nvidia,” wrote Dan Ives, a tech analyst at Wedbush Securities. “That narrative is clear from these results and the positive commentary from Jensen.”

NVIDIA posted quarterly revenues of US$44.1 billion, beating consensus analyst estimates of US$43.3 billion. That’s also a staggering 69 percent increase from the US$26 billion reported in the same quarter last year.

The company’s flagship data center division, which supplies AI chips to major clients like Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), reported US$39.1 billion in sales.

Although that’s a slight miss from Wall Street’s US$39.2 billion forecast, it’s still up from US$22.5 billion last year.

“Our breakthrough Blackwell NVL72 AI supercomputer — a ‘thinking machine’ designed for reasoning — is now in full-scale production across system makers and cloud service providers,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA.

“Global demand for NVIDIA’s AI infrastructure is incredibly strong. AI inference token generation has surged tenfold in just one year, and as AI agents become mainstream, the demand for AI computing will accelerate.”

Earlier this month, Huang traveled with US President Donald Trump to the Middle East, where the company reportedly secured orders for hundreds of thousands of chips from Saudi Arabia.

Yet NVIDIA’s latest results also expose the mounting risks the firm faces as global trade policy tightens.

In recent months, Washington has sharply escalated restrictions on semiconductor exports to China, targeting chips like NVIDIA’s H20 — a China-specific product designed to comply with US rules. The US Department of Commerce has banned shipments of these chips to Chinese firms, citing concerns about potential military applications.

The move forced NVIDIA to write off US$4.5 billion in H20 inventory, and the company estimates a US$2.5 billion revenue loss in the current quarter as a result. Huang placed the broader impact of the China restrictions at US$15 billion.

“The US$50 billion China market is effectively closed to US industry,” he said in an interview. “We are exploring limited ways to compete, but Hopper is no longer an option. China’s AI moves on with or without US chips.”

While NVIDIA has previously indicated that it could redesign chips to meet evolving US export rules, Huang has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of Washington’s policy direction. Speaking to reporters after NVIDIA’s earnings call, he described the restrictions as a “failure” that will ultimately hurt American companies more than Chinese rivals.

The pressure on NVIDIA intensified further this week, as the Financial Times reported that Trump has instructed US suppliers of chip-design software to halt sales to Chinese firms.

Nonetheless, NVIDIA’s strong earnings, coupled with a federal court ruling blocking some of Trump’s proposed tariffs, have reassured investors. AI-driven demand appears robust enough to offset near-term geopolitical volatility.

For now, the markets have spoken — and they’re betting big on NVIDIA’s future.

“Countries around the world are recognizing AI as essential infrastructure — just like electricity and the internet — and NVIDIA stands at the center of this profound transformation,” Huang emphasized post-earnings.

NVIDIA’s share price spike this week put it on track for its highest close since January, and triggered a broader rally across the semiconductor sector.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

3 Mins Read

Amazon taps Xbox co-founder to lead new team developing ‘breakthrough’ consumer products

Amazon’s devices unit has a new team tasked with inventing “breakthrough” consumer products that’s being led by a former Microsoft executive who helped create the Xbox.

The ZeroOne team is spread across Seattle, San Francisco and Sunnyvale, California, and is focused on both hardware and software projects, according to job postings from the past month. The name is a nod to its mission of developing emerging product ideas from conception to launch, or “zero to one.”

Amazon has a checkered history in hardware, with hits including the Kindle e-reader, Echo smart speaker and Fire streaming sticks, as well as flops like the Fire Phone, Halo fitness tracker and Glow kids teleconferencing device.

Many of the products emerged from Lab126, Amazon’s hardware research and development unit, which is based in Silicon Valley.

The new group is being led by J Allard, who spent 19 years at Microsoft, most recently as technology chief of consumer products, a role he left in 2010, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was a key architect of the Xbox game console, as well as the Zune, a failed iPod competitor.

Allard joined Amazon in September, and the company confirmed at the time that he would be part of the devices and services team under Panos Panay, who left Microsoft for Amazon in 2023 to lead the group.

An Amazon spokesperson confirmed Allard oversees ZeroOne but declined to comment further on the group’s work.

The job postings provide few specific details about what ZeroOne is building, though one listing references working on “conceiving, designing, and bringing to market computer vision techniques for a new smart-home product.”

Another post for a senior customer insights manager in San Francisco says the job entails owning “the methodology and execution of concept testing and early feedback for ZeroOne programs.”

“You’ll be part of a team that embraces design thinking, rapid experimentation, and building to learn,” the description says. “If you’re excited about working in small, nimble teams to create entirely new product categories and thrive in the ambiguity of breakthrough innovation, we want to talk to you.”

Amazon has pulled in staffers from other business units that have experience developing innovative technologies, including its Alexa voice assistant, Luna cloud gaming service and Halo sleep tracker, according to Linkedin profiles of ZeroOne employees. The head of a projection mapping startup called Lightform that Amazon acquired is helping lead the group.

While Amazon is expanding this particular corner of its devices group, the company is scaling back other areas of the sprawling devices and services division.

Earlier this month, Amazon laid off about 100 of the group’s employees. The job cuts included staffers working on Alexa and Amazon Kids, which develops services for children, as well as Lab126, according to public filings and people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named due to confidentiality. More than 50 employees were laid off at Amazon’s Lab126 facilities in Sunnyvale, according to Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filings in California.

Amazon said the job cuts affected a fraction of a percent of the devices and services organization, which has tens of thousands of employees.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

4 Mins Read

U.S. foreign tax bill sends jitters across Wall Street

While U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs play out in U.S. courts, another one of his proposed laws could weaponize the American tax system.

Investment banks and law firms warn this step could prove to be as significant as the impact of duties on investors.

The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which passed through the U.S. House of Representatives last week, includes the most sweeping changes to the tax treatment of foreign capital in the U.S. in decades under a provision known as Section 899. The bill must still gain the Senate’s approval.

“We see this legislation as creating the scope for the US administration to transform a trade war into a capital war if it so wishes,” said George Saravelos, global head of FX research at Deutsche Bank on Thursday.

“Section 899 challenges the open nature of US capital markets by explicitly using taxation on foreign holdings of US assets as leverage to further US economic goals,” Saravelos added in the note to clients, under the subtitle “weaponization of US capital markets in to law.”

Section 899 says it will hit entities from “discriminatory foreign countries” — those that impose levies such as the digital services taxes that disproportionately affect U.S. companies.

France, for instance, has a 3% tax on revenues from online platforms, which primarily targets big technology firms such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple. Germany is reportedly considering a similar tax of 10%.

Under the new tax bill, the U.S. would hit investors from such countries by increasing taxes on U.S. income by 5 percentage points each year, potentially taking the rate up to 20%.

Emmanuel Cau, head of European Equity Strategy at Barclays, suggested that the mere passage of the tax legislation could make dollar assets less valuable for foreign investors.

“In our view, this is a risk for those companies generating US revenues, and domiciled in countries that have enacted Digital Services Taxes (DST) or are implementing the OECD’s Under Taxed Payment Rule (UTPR),” Cau said in a Friday note to clients.

He highlighted companies such as London-listed Compass Group, which provides catering services to U.S. schools, and InterContinental Hotels, which owns at least 25 luxury hotels in the U.S., are likely to be affected by the proposed law.

“Given US net international investment position is sharply negative, there is indeed scope for capital outflows if indeed S899 passes through the Senate in its current form,” he added.

The impact of the bill won’t be limited to European companies or individuals from those states.

The bill “could significantly increase tax rates applicable to certain non-U.S. individuals and business, governmental, and other entities,” said Max Levine, head of U.S. tax at the law firm Linklaters.

This means it could also ensnare governments and central banks, which are large investors of U.S. Treasuries. France and Germany, for instance, held a combined $475 billion worth of U.S. government bonds as of March.

The proposed tax would lower returns on U.S. Treasuries for those investors as “the de facto yield on US Treasuries would drop by nearly 100bps,” Deutsche Bank’s Saravelos added. “The adverse impact on demand for USTs and funding the US twin deficit at a time when this is most needed is clear”.

“It’s very bad,” said Beat Wittmann, chairman of Switzerland-based Porta Advisors. “This is huge — this is just one piece in the overall plan and it’s completely consistent with what this administration is all about.”

“The ultimate judge for this is not our opinions, it’s the bond market,” Wittmann added. “The U.S. bond market is discounting these developments, and we have seen in the last few weeks, that if there was a safe haven move, investors clearly prefer German bunds.”

Large Australian pension funds with U.S. investments have also been reportedly concerned by the bill, since Australia operates a medicines subsidy scheme that is opposed by large U.S. pharmaceutical companies.

Legal experts at the Mayer Brown law firm suggest that “significant changes” could be made to the bill as it passes through the U.S. Senate before it’s enshrined into law by Trump.

“As such, there may be questions about whether the provisions of the proposal that override tax treaties could be included in the US Senate’s version of the tax bill,” Mayer Brown’s experts said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

1 Min Read

Larry Williams on the Fed, Interest Rates & Markets! What’s Next?

In this must-see market update, Larry Williams returns with timely stock market analysis, trading insights, and macroeconomic forecasts. Discover what’s next for the Federal Reserve, interest rates, and inflation — and how it could impact top stocks like Tesla (TSLA), Nvidia (NVDA), Apple (AAPL), and consumer staples (XLP).

This video originally premiered on May 27, 2025. Watch on StockCharts’ dedicated Larry Williams page!

Previously recorded videos from Larry are available at this link.

4 Mins Read

Analyzing SIL, USO, and NVDA: Could These Bullish Patterns Trigger?

SIL Silver Miners

SIL was among the leaders yesterday and now is close to triggering this double-bottom bullish pattern. Staying above the 43-mark would target 47. That’s not a big move, but let’s remember that SIL is sporting bullish formations on its longer-term charts, too.

FIGURE 1. DAILY CHART OF GLOBAL X SILVER MINERS ETF (SIL).

SIL – Weekly

Firstly, the double-bottom pattern on this weekly log chart annotated in blue remains alive. This objective is up near 49.

Secondly, the area highlighted in green here is the same pattern pictured on the daily chart above. That area is sitting at the very top of a much bigger bullish inverse head-and-shoulders pattern that extends all the way back to 2021. Thus, if the short-term breakout works, it will trigger this one, as well. That target is in the mid-70s…

FIGURE 2. WEEKLY CHART OF GLOBAL X SILVER MINERS ETF (SIL).

SIL – Monthly

And that green pattern above is part of this MUCH larger, 13-year potential double bottom. We still have a while to go before this one is triggered, but it’s important to keep all of these in the back of our minds.

Anyone who trades or tracks SIL knows that short-term whipsaws are the norm. So, while these breakouts may not be clean, the bullish structures are clear. The bottom line is that if SIL continues to make higher highs and higher lows, the patterns will continue to work.

FIGURE 3. MONTHLY CHART OF GLOBAL X SILVER MINERS ETF (SIL).

USO Crude Oil

USO was among the leaders yesterday, but it’s still trying to bust through its 50-DMA, which has been the sticking point the last few weeks. If it can soon, USO could complete this potential bullish inverse H&S pattern. The upside target would be in the 77-78 range, and that would align with key short-term tops from the last year. First step, push above the 50-day line…

FIGURE 4. DAILY CHART OF US OIL FUND (USO).

NVDA

The obvious question every time NVDA rallies is whether it’s too late to buy. To get a true sense of the stock’s technical prospects, we need to view it across different charts and time frames.

First, here’s a view of the bullish flag pattern we cited on Tuesday (along with TSLA, GOOGL and META). Given the preceding staircase-like advance, the starting point of the flagpole is subjective. We’re using the early May low given that the stock avoided filling a gap from a few days earlier.

Regardless, the measured move counts to the 161 zone, which would be a new all-time high.

FIGURE 5. DAILY CHART OF NVIDIA CORP. (NVDA).

This second one is a daily chart that extends all the way back to 2010 and shows times when breaking below or above the 200-DMA led to strong, extended moves for the stock. From this angle, the recent 200-day breach didn’t last that long at all, and now NVDA has the chance to once again follow through after breaking back above it over the last few weeks.

FIGURE 6. LONGER-TERM DAILY CHART OF NVIDIA CORP. (NVDA).

Here’s a weekly, log chart going back to the 2022 low. NVDA has leveraged three major pattern breakouts since then to power the astounding rally the last two-plus years. With the stock last having made a new high last October and being net flat since last July, an eventual push back above the 150-zone could prompt big pattern-breakout number four.

FIGURE 7. WEEKLY CHART OF NVIDIA CORP. (NVDA).

Lastly, here are the biggest breakouts on this monthly chart that goes back over two decades. Again, looking at it from this viewpoint makes the last 11 months appear like a very small digestive phase, especially compared to the other three on the chart. Thus, the first step will be seeing how well NVDA can hold the opening gap. That’s important for today, but much more important for the days and weeks to come.

FIGURE 8. MONTHLY CHART OF NVIDIA CORP. (NVDA).

6 Mins Read

Nuclear Power Trio: OKLO, SMR, and CCJ in Focus

Nuclear energy stocks are on a tear, and Oklo Inc. (OKLO), Cameco Corp. (CCJ), and NuScale Power Corporation (SMR) are leading the charge, fueled by presidential executive orders, investor hype, and hopes for a nuclear-powered future.

Is It Time to Go Nuclear?

These names bucked the trend on Wednesday, rising even as the major U.S. indexes fell. I found all three while running a P&F Double Top Breakout scan, with SMR also appearing in the New 52-Week Highs scan. But are these gains a sign of genuine investment opportunities, or is this high-risk subsector just radioactive for your portfolio? To analyze this, let’s break down their profiles and charts to see whether the “glow” here points to real promise—or simply masks a toxic risk.

Here’s a PerfCharts snapshot of all three stocks against the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), our broader market proxy.

FIGURE 1. PERFCHARTS OF SMR, OKLO, CCJ, AND SPY.

While CCJ steadily lagged behind the S&P 500 until this month, both OKLO and SMR began outperforming the broader market starting in mid-October of last year. Their relative performance to date is so strong that it appears almost unsustainable in the short term.

All three mid-cap stocks are also showing robust StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR) scores—OKLO at 99.6, SMR at 99.3, and CCJ at 89.9 at the time of writing. While this can indicate technical strength, it can also signal irrational exuberance among retail investors.

Robust SCTR Scores but Divergent Fundamentals

Another thing to note is the notable difference in their fundamentals. SMR and OKLO have negative P/E ratios, suggesting that their surges are driven more by promise and speculation than by profits. CCJ, with a P/E ratio of 149, is raking in some profits, but may also be riding an overcrowded wave of hype.

Ultimately, while technical performance can sometimes lead to fundamental strength—or mask fundamental weakness—it’s worth taking a closer look at these leading names in the nuclear subsector to understand the opportunities and risks they present. Let’s break it down further by examining each stock’s technical picture and what it suggests about investor conviction.

OKLO: Testing Highs, Buying the Dip?

To start, here’s a daily chart of nuclear energy startup OKLO.

FIGURE 2. DAILY CHART OF OKLO. In contrast to the other two nuclear stocks, OKLO is potentially experiencing higher levels of accumulation.

OKLO recently tested its all-time high of $59 before pulling back. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) shows the stock was deep within overbought territory, hinting at caution. Still, what’s interesting is that OKLO’s Accumulation/Distribution Line (ADL), plotted behind the price, remains strong. This suggests that even as the price retreats, buying pressure may still be present—hinting that investors might be looking to buy the dip rather than “sell the news.”

The key thing to watch now is how deep this retracement goes. If investors are still optimistic about OKLO’s fundamental outlook, you might see a bounce within the first two quadrants marked by the Quadrant Lines on the chart. Pay particular attention to the critical support range around the center line at $38, shown in the yellow-shaded area. If the price falls below this level, it could be a sign of weakness, suggesting the stock is more of a FOMO-driven trade than one backed by long-term conviction.

SMR: Hype or Healthy Pullback?

Next, we’ll shift over to a daily chart of SMR. Among the three, SMR is the only to notch a new all-time high. But does this signal the beginning of a new leg up, or the end of a surge that lacks substance?

FIGURE 3. DAILY CHART OF SMR. What happens next will show whether investors truly believe in the stock—or if the rally was driven by short-term hype.

SMR immediately declined after making a parabolic move to a new all-time high. As the RSI confirms, the stock was well-overbought. Now, it’s a matter of measuring the depth of the pullback.

I plotted a Fibonacci Retracement to highlight potential support levels. There are several zones of support from previous swing highs and a concentrated trading area between the 61.8% and 38.2% retracement levels. If investor confidence stays strong, expect a possible bounce between $21 and $24, marking the 61.8% and 50% Fib levels respectively. A deeper drop below the 61.8% level might still find support around $15, but that would also suggest that the rally was driven more by sentiment than strategic conviction.

CCJ: Underperforming Stock, Profitable Company

Lastly, let’s take a look at the most earnings-positive company among the three. Here’s a daily chart of CCJ.

FIGURE 4. DAILY CHART OF CCJ. The critical level to watch is the range between $50 – $52.

CCJ has a similar technical profile to OKLO and SMR—it’s overbought, and it tested its all-time high on a parabolic surge, leading to a pullback.

However, instead of measuring the various degrees of its potential retracements (using Fib or Quadrants), I’m focusing on the key range of $50–$52. Why? Because, in addition to marking a broad level that has acted as both support and resistance since October of last year, this range also shows a high concentration of trading activity, as indicated by the Volume-by-Price indicator.

If longer-term conviction holds, CCJ should bounce at this level. If not, expect the stock to decline further—although it may eventually find support at lower levels, it likely wouldn’t be worth chasing at that point.

At the Close

Nuclear energy stocks like OKLO, SMR, and CCJ have captured market attention, defying broader trends and flashing bullish technical patterns. But while momentum and investor enthusiasm are driving these moves, each stock also faces questions about sustainability and fundamentals.

Are we looking at a healthy dip—or is Wall Street just selling the news? To answer that question, keep an eye on the key technical levels outlined above. With these standout names in an emerging (and therefore highly uncertain) subsector, the technicals will likely reveal whether the market’s leaning toward conviction or just chasing the hype.

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

12 Mins Read

Knicks beat Pacers to stave off elimination: Highlights from Game 5

The New York Knicks will live to fight another day.

Facing their first closeout game of this postseason, New York responded with energy and intensity that did not wane in any quarter — something that had plagued the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks also became the first team to hold the Indiana Pacers to fewer than 100 points in any game this postseason in Thursday’s 111-94 victory.

The Pacers will now get their chance to close out New York at home, at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, on Saturday for Game 6.

From the start of the game, when he scored the first six Knicks points, All-Star guard Jalen Brunson carried New York with 32 points on a hyper-efficient 12-of-18 shooting night that also saw him flush 4-of-7 of his attempts from beyond the arc. Center Karl-Anthony Towns, who nursed a left knee contusion heading into the game, also chipped in 24 points and 13 rebounds.

More impressive was New York’s defensive effort, as the Knicks swarmed Indiana’s backcourt, rotating with tenacity, deflecting passes and creating turnovers. The Pacers gave the ball away 19 times.

All-Star Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was coming off of a historic 32-point, 15-assist, 12- rebound triple-double, finished with just 8 points on 2-of-7 shooting. In fact, Aaron Nesmith (8 attempts), Andrew Nembhard (8), Obi Toppin (10) and Benedict Mathurin (10) all attempted more shots than Haliburton did.

Mathurin, who played just 24:42 off the bench, led all Pacers with 23 points

The Oklahoma City Thunder awaits the winner of the series in the NBA Finals. The Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday.

USA TODAY Sports provided full coverage of Thursday night’s Game 5. Scroll below for highlights and a full recap of the game.

Game 5 highlights: Knicks vs. Pacers

See full highlight from New York’s win over Indiana Thursday night:

Final: Knicks 111, Pacers 94

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks kept their NBA postseason alive with a 111-94 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Pacers still lead the series 3-2 and will host the Knicks for Game 6 back in Indiana.

Brunson finished with 32 points, five rebounds and five assists. Karl-Anthony Towns produced a double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds.

It was a fairly quiet night for Tyrese Haliburton, who scored just eight points on 2-for-7 shooting from the field for the Pacers.

Pascal Siakam had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists while Bennedict Mathurin came off the bench and finished with 23 points and nine rebounds.

The Oklahoma City Thunder awaits the winner of the series in the NBA Finals. The Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday.

3Q: Knicks 90, Pacers 73

After a scoreless second quarter, Jalen Brunson got back to the business of getting to the hoop, scoring 10 of New York’s first 12 points of the third as part of a run to push their lead to 20.

Karl Anthony Towns (19 points, 10 rebounds) sat the last six minutes of the quarter after picking up his fourth foul and the Pacers used an 12-2 run and used the strategy of fouling Knicks center Mitchell Robinson to stop the clock, while trying to cut into the lead, but Brunson scored six points in less than a minute, capped off by a four-point play with 2:56 left as he scored 16 in the quarter.

The Pacers, who are shooting 38%, are led by Bennedict Mathurin, who has 17 points off the bench. Obi Toppin added 11 and Pascal Siakam has 11 points and five rebounds and is the only Indiana starter in double figures. Tyrese Haliburton has been a non-factor so far, scoring six points in his 26 minutes of action.

Halftime: Knicks 56, Pacers 45

The urgency for the New York Knicks is palpable.

After struggling to stack positive quarters throughout the Eastern Conference finals, the Knicks maintained their intensity in the second period, extending their lead to 11 points.

The Knicks rode a 14-2 run in the middle of the quarter, as All-Stars Jalen Brunson (14 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (17) carried New York. But the most obvious positive for the Knicks has been the way they have protected the ball, turning it over just 6 times. New York has also kept its defensive intensity and has attacked the rim, earning a 32-14 edge in points in the paint.

The Pacers have struggled from the floor, though the starting unit, in particular, has had a rough go. The first five combined to score just 22 points in the first half, with All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton having a difficult time generating his shot. Haliburton did not make a single field goal, missing his 3 shot attempts.

He scored just 4 points in the half, while shooting guard Aaron Nesmith was held scoreless.

The Pacers are shooting 37.5% from the floor, compared the New York’s clip of 51.1%.

1Q: Knicks 27, Pacers 23

With their backs against the wall and facing elimination, the Knicks came out firing with Jalen Brunson scoring the team’s first six points as New York shot out to an early 10-point lead. Brunson finished the quarter with 14 points, hitting two 3-pointers as part of an 11-1 run, and Karl-Anthony Towns continued his aggressive play on both ends of the floor with five points and three rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton, who had a triple-double in Game 4, scored two points. Indiana shot 37% in the quarter.

Jalen Brunson stats

Knicks star Jalen Brunson had 32 points, five assists and five rebounds with 6:04 left in Game 5 against the Pacers. He shot 12-of-18 from the field and 4-for-7 from the 3-point line.

New York Knicks starting lineup

Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges will start for the Knicks in Game 5 against the Pacers tonight.

Indiana Pacers starting lineup

Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner will start for the Pacers in Game 5 against the Knicks tonight.

What time is Pacers vs. Knicks?

The New York Knicks will host the Indiana Pacers for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

USA Today Staff predictions:

Scooby Axson: Pacers 115, Knicks 109
Cydney Henderson: Knicks 108, Pacers 102
Lorenzo Reyes: Pacers 116, Knicks 110
Heather Tucker: Knicks 97, Pacers 94
James H. Williams: Knicks 102, Pacers 101
Jeff Zillgitt: Knicks 111, Pacers 105

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks predictions: Expert picks for Game 5

ESPN: Pacers have the edge

According to ESPN Analytics, Indiana has a 54% chance of winning Game 5 against the New York Knicks (46%).

SportsBettingDime: Knicks 117.1, Pacers 115.5

The site formula predicts that New York will beat Indiana.

Sportsbook Wire: Pacers 121, Knicks 116

Ryan Dodson writes: ‘I like the Pacers here because I don’t think there’s any way they can lose both games at home after the momentum they stole in New York.’

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Game 5 odds

The New York Knicks are favored to beat the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, according to BetMGM (odds as of Thursday, May 29):

Spread: Knicks (-4.5)
Moneyline: Knicks (-185); Pacers (+150)
Over/under: 222.5

How to watch Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks

Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
TV: TNT, truTV
Stream: Sling TV, Fubo, Max

Watch Pacers vs. Knicks Game 5 on Fubo

Aaron Nesmith injury update

Aaron Nesmith will be available for Game 5 tonight, according to Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Nesmith has been dealing with a right ankle sprain.

What channel is the NBA game tonight? How to watch NBA playoffs

The Pacers take on the Knicks at 8 p.m. ET with coverage on TNT, truTV and streaming on Max.

Where is Pacers-Knicks Game 5?

The Knicks will host the Pacers from Madison Square Garden in New York City for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Karl-Anthony Towns injury update

Karl-Anthony Towns is going to play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, according to Knicks. Towns went through his regular pre-game routine minutes before tipoff and did not appear to be in any obvious discomfort. The Knicks announced shortly before tipoff that Towns would be in the starting lineup along with Jalen Brunson, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. — Lorenzo Reyes

NBA championship odds

BetMGM odds forNBA Finals winner as of Wednesday, May 28:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (-750)
2. Indiana Pacers (+650)
3. New York Knicks (+2800)

Oklahoma City Thunder reach NBA Finals

Four victories. That’s what the Oklahoma City Thunder need to win the franchise’s first championship since 1979 when they were the Seattle SuperSonics.

The Thunder reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 Wednesday in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.

More from Thunder’s Western Conference Finals win.

When are the 2025 NBA Finals? Schedule

*-if necessary

Game 1, June 5: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Game 2, June 8: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET | ABC
Game 3, June 11: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Game 4, June 13: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Game 5, June 16: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC*
Game 6, June 19: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. ET | ABC*
Game 7, June 22: TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET | ABC*

Pacers vs. Knicks remaining schedule: Eastern Conference Finals

Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135
Game 2: Pacers 114, Knicks 109
Game 3: Knicks 106, Pacers 100
Game 4, May 27: Pacers 130, Knicks 121
Game 5, May 29: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.
Game 6, May 31: Knicks at Pacers | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.*
Game 7, June 2: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, Sling TV | 8 p.m.*

NBA’s new era of parity

If the impending NBA Finals matchup of the league’s 23^rd and 27^th-ranked media markets is supposed to spell doom for the league, it is a doom the NBA’s owners intentionally brought on themselves.

While two glitz-free Midwestern cities in the Finals might not have the celebrity pull the NBA has largely enjoyed through its historically successful franchises, it was an inevitable outcome once the league designed a collective bargaining agreement that dismantled its traditional cycle of superteams and dynasties.

Welcome to the new NBA, where championship windows are smaller, the life cycle of a roster is shorter and the number of teams that can win a title in any given year is beyond anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes. — Dan Wolken

Knicks vs Pacers rivalry

The Knicks and Pacers played six memorable playoff series against one another over an eight-season span, including two consecutive matchups in the Eastern Conference finals in 1999 and 2000. The anticipation for this latest matchup has also triggered nostalgia for those classic battles between Reggie Miller and Patrick Ewing, and how the Knicks and Pacers turned into an NBA playoffs rivalry. Here are some of the best (or infamous) moments from Knicks vs. Pacers playoff series, courtesy of Mark Giannotto.

Why is Spike Lee a Knicks fan?

The New York Knicks’ historic postseason journey this year has not only reignited the passion of veteran Knicks fans but also attracted a new wave of supporters, uniting them in a shared sense of pride and excitement.

Among the most enthusiastic supporters is Spike Lee, a longtime leader of the Knicks fan base.

The film director is often seen in Knicks gear, sporting the standout orange and blue in some fashion, and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a superfan in October 2024.

Why is Timothee Chalamet a Knicks fan?

This rare and exciting moment has ignited enthusiasm for New York Knicks fans everywhere, including Academy Award-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet.

Chalamet often joins the jubilant Madison Square Garden crowd alongside Spike Lee, a prominent figure on the Knicks’ sidelines. Chalamet’s fervent support for the Knicks, as reported by the New York Times, began during his high school days at LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, when he was a budding actor striving to carve his niche.

Who is Mariska Hargitay?

Fans tuning in to a New York Knicks game have at some point probably seen actress Mariska Hargitay in the crowd at Madison Square Garden.

The star of the long-running NBC show ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ is a frequent presence along the sideline at MSG, with Knicks star Jalen Brunson calling the actress ‘my favorite person ever.’ What better co-sign could a fan ask for?

Here’s what to know about Knicks superfan Mariska Hargitay.

2025 All-NBA team

Oklahoma City Thunder guard and league Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were unanimous selections from a panel of 100 global reporters and broadcasters who cover the NBA voted on the squad. View the complete list.

NBA champions by year

Winners over the last 20 years. For a full list of champions, visit NBA.com.

2023-24 — Boston Celtics
2022-23 — Denver Nuggets
2021-22 — Golden State Warriors
2020-21 — Milwaukee Bucks
2019-20 — Los Angeles Lakers
2018-19 — Toronto Raptors
2017-18 — Golden State Warriors
2016-17 — Golden State Warriors
2015-16 — Cleveland Cavaliers
2014-15 — Golden State Warriors
2013-14 — San Antonio Spurs
2012-13 — Miami Heat
2011-12 — Miami Heat
2010-11 — Dallas Mavericks
2009-10 — Los Angeles Lakers
2008-09 — Los Angeles Lakers
2007-08 — Boston Celtics
2006-07 — San Antonio Spurs
2005-06 — Miami Heat
2004-05 — San Antonio Spurs

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

3 Mins Read

Ella Parker walk-off home run helps Oklahoma beat Tennessee in WCWS

Oklahoma softball’s path for a fifth consecutive Women’s College World Series national championship looked to include the elimination bracket.

Ella Parker then changed that.

Down to the last out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Parker connected a 0-1 fastball from Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens and sailed it over the centerfield wall at Devon Park in Oklahoma City to give the Sooners a 4-3 win over the Volunteers in the opening round of the WCWS on Thursday.

‘Going into it, I knew our fourth man was in fire. This team has done so much. We just battled and battled and battled. Just knowing that our fourth man was with us, I’m so emotional,’ Parker told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after her walk-off home run.

‘I was just doing whatever to stay loose and pass the bat to my next teammate,’ Parker told Rowe on what she saw on Pickens’ pitch. ‘Nothing else, just keeping it simple.’

The Volunteers got to Sooners ace Sam Landry early in the top of the first inning with back-to-back hits to put runners on second and third with no outs. Tennessee plated its first run in the inning on a passed ball that got away from OU catcher Isabela Emerling, which allowed Gabby Leach to score from third.

Tennessee extended its lead to 2-0 in the first when former Sooner Sophia Nugent brought in Taylor Pannell on a sacrifice fly. The Vols’ 2-0 lead was short-lived, as Oklahoma quickly responded in the home half of the inning with a solo home run to right by Parker.

Aggressiveness in the third inning helped extend Tennessee’s lead to 3-1, when Ella Dodge scored from second on a misplayed ball in left field by Oklahoma left fielder Kasidi Pickering.

The Volunteers had an opportunity to break the game open in the top of the seventh inning when Nugent came up to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. However, Nugent would ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the rally.

Then in the bottom of the seventh, Pickens, who holds the NCAA softball record for the fastest pitch at 79.4 mph, the Sooners began their rally with Ailana Agbayani working a four-pitch walk. Agbayani was then brought around to third on a single up the middle from Pickering that got under the glove of Dodge at second base.

Parker’s heroics in the seventh inning staved off numerous pieces of history for Oklahoma, most notably becoming the first defending national champion to lose its opening round game since 2018, which happened to also be the Sooners.

Oklahoma will now take on No. 6 Texas on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET in the ‘winners’ bracket’ of the WCWS in what will be a rematch of last year’s WCWS championship series. The Longhorns shut out No. 3 Florida by a score of 3-0 in the opening game of the 2025 WCWS on Thursday..

(This story was updated with new information)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY