Tag: Politics

Carrie Underwood sang America the Beautiful a cappella at the inauguration after a technical error

Carrie Underwood sang “America the Beautiful” a cappella after an inauguration technical error.

During Monday’s presidential inauguration for Donald Trump, a technical issue led country musician Carrie Underwood to sing “America the Beautiful” a cappella.

Underwood was one of the performers during Monday’s festivities, but a brief delay caused by the lack of a backing track during her appearance gave way to her performing the American hymn without any music.

Underwood was joined by attendees in the United States Capitol Rotunda in singing the song.

While production errors happen in live events, Underwood made sure the show went on anyhow with her a cappella performance with some help from the various attendees.

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John Fetterman is out here wearing shorts in freezing weather ahead of the inauguration

Sir, it’s very cold out.

I am not one of those people who you see around your local town or city wearing shorts in freezing weather.

Sure, there are those who do it. And apparently, that includes Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman, who is out here on Monday in Washington D.C. just walking around in shorts like he finished a pickup game at the local Y. That’s only a little strange when you consider that it’s so cold, the entire inauguration was moved indoors into the Capitol Rotunda.

Why? Maybe Fetterman is just built differently. He’s like the opposite of very cold, bundled-up Bernie Sanders. Check it out:

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5 sporting events held in colder weather than Donald Trump’s second inauguration

Cold means something very different to sports fans and politicians.

The second inauguration of Donald Trump on Monday is moving indoors at the United States Capitol due to an arctic blast forecasted to hit Washington D.C. this weekend.

It will be the first time the ceremony has not been held on the the Capitol’s western front since the second inauguration of Ronald Reagan in 1985 was also moved inside due to the cold.

So how frigid will it get Monday? The latest forecasts indicates a temperature in the low 20s with wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour around noon when Trump will be sworn into office. Or, in sports parlance, nowhere near vaseline cold.

Sports have broken our brains to view enduring frigid temps as a badge of honor rather than a reason to fret. And there have been so many recent examples of leagues and organizers refusing to budge on scheduling when it comes to extreme cold.

So before you start to convince yourself 20 degrees is too cold to be outside, remember that hundreds of thousands of fans have endured much worse — sometimes in minimal clothing — to support their teams.

Sports played in colder temps than Trump’s inauguration

Jan. 14, 2024: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins (-4 degrees Fahrenheit)

(Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

The NFL probably should’ve rescheduled this AFC Wild Card matchup. The wind chill reached -27 degrees Fahrenheit and dozens of fans at Arrowhead Field that day were treated for frostbite — with some needing amputations. Amazingly, this was only the fourth-coldest game in NFL history.

Jan. 1, 2022: Minnesota Wild vs. St. Louis Blues (-5.7 degrees Fahrenheit)

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The coldest game in NHL history. Of course it involved Minnesota. The Wild fell to the Blues, 6-4, in the 2022 Winter Classic at Target Field with St. Louis playing mind games in the cold well before puck drop.

Oct. 22, 1997: World Series Game 4, Florida Marlins vs. Cleveland Indians (38 degrees Fahrenheit)

Photo by JEFF HAYNES / AFP)

You may be thinking 38 degrees sounds tropic compared to some of the other games on this list, but the Snow Globe Game had a wind chill of 18 degrees. The only heat came from Cleveland’s bats in 10-3 victory, though the Marlins won the series in seven games.

Dec. 31, 1967: NFL Championship Game, Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys (-13 degrees Fahrenheit)

You knew the Ice Bowl was going to appear on this list. Negative 13 at kickoff with a a -48 wind chill (that’s since been updated to -36 under current guidelines). The heating system under the turf didn’t work properly and the Packers won 21-17 in a game that 50,000 attended and millions more claimed they were at.

1994 Winter Olympics, Lillehammer, Norway (7 degrees Fahrenheit)

Feb 12, 1994; Lillehammer, Norway: The main cauldron opening ceremony for the XVII Winter Olympics. Mandatory Credit: Prevost/Presse via USA TODAY Sports

It turns out Norway is quite cold in February! The Lillehammer Games are most commonly associated with the fallout of the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan saga, but the brutal frost was even harder to avoid. At night the Olympic Village averaged -13 degrees Fahrenheit.

Donald Trump picks ex-Broncos player for his Cabinet

Scott Turner, one of Donald Trump’s recent Cabinet picks, played his final season in the NFL with the Broncos in 2003.

President-elect Donald Trump has selected former NFL defensive back Scott Turner to join his Cabinet when Trump’s presidency term begins in 2025.

Turner (pictured with the San Diego Chargers above) has been tabbed to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He previously oversaw the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term as president.

Turner, 52, had an eight-year career in the NFL, spending time with Washington, the Chargers and the Denver Broncos. He blocked a punt against the Broncos while playing for San Diego in 2000, then grabbed a 75-yard pick-six against Denver later that season.

Turner spent his final season in the NFL playing for the Broncos in 2003. He appeared in nine games that season, totaling eight tackles. He appeared in 101 games in his career, recording 106 tackles, five interceptions and two sacks before hanging up his cleats.

Turner will need to be confirmed by the Senate before officially taking his new Cabinet position.

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Will the New York Times have the Needle for the election?

The New York Times’ popular election needle might not make an appearance for 2024.

All eyes in the United States are on the results of the 2024 election on Tuesday and many of them will likely look to the New York Times for coverage.

Famously, the New York Times has used the Needle in previous elections to show live forecasts in the form of a handy semicircle chart. On it, a needle moves back and forth between sections to showcase the confidence of how a race is going. After the 2016 election, the Needle was often cited as a source of anxiety for election watchers, but also spawned some pretty great memes.

However, for 2024, the Needle might be in jeopardy due to a strike organized by tech workers from the New York Times. The nearly 700 unionized workers in the New York Times Tech Guild have been looking to reach an agreement with the organization on a new contract with “better wages, hours, benefits and job security” among other things.

As such, the Needle may or may not make an appearance on Tuesday.

Guess we’ll have to see how things unfold!

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What time do the polls close on Election Day 2024? Here’s the state by state answer

How late does each state’s polling place stay open?

If you’ve been tuned into election coverage all day on Tuesday, you’ve probably seen those countdown clocks on the each news network letting you know when the next polls close.

And if those timers are making you nervous and you just want the full list of when the polls close in each state, you’ve come to the right place.

Per USA TODAY’s, here’s when each state’s polls will close. You can also check USA TODAY’s voter guide or visit Vote.gov and USA.gov for more information on voting and voter registration, which in some states is open through Election Day.

All times are local.

Polls Closing at 6 p.m.

  • Indiana
  • Kentucky

Polls Closing at 7 p.m.

  • Arizona
  • Illinois
  • Missouri
  • Virginia
  • Alabama
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Kansas
  • Mississippi
  • Nebraska (Mountain Time)
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • Oklahoma
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee (for areas on Central Time)
  • Texas
  • Vermont
  • Wyoming

Polls Closing at 7:30 p.m.

  • Arkansas
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • West Virginia

Polls Closing at 8:00 p.m.

  • Connecticut
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • New Jersey
  • Alaska
  • California
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Idaho
  • Iowa
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • Nebraska (Central Time)
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Utah
  • Tennessee (Eastern Time)
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin

Broncos ownership has donated the most to politics (by far) among NFL owners

Broncos ownership has donated more than $17.8 million to political candidates and causes this election cycle, by far most among NFL owners.

The Denver Broncos have the richest ownership group in the NFL by far — and perhaps the most generous.

Broncos co-owner Rob Walton, a Walmart heir, donated more than $16.5 million to political candidates and causes from Jan. 1 last year to Oct. 1 this year, according to Tom Schad of USA TODAY Sports.

The next-highest donations amount this election cycle among NFL owners was $3,328,000 donated by Atlanta Falcons owner Authur Blank.

Greg Penner, Denver’s controlling owner and CEO, donated $171,500, eighth-most among NFL owners. His wife, Broncos co-owner Carrie Walton Penner, donated $1,064,900, fifth-most among league owners.

Rob Walton and Greg Penner donated primarily to Republican causes. Carrie Walton Penner donated $1 million to a Democratic political action committee.

Here’s a look at the ten biggest political donors among NFL owners this election cycle, courtesy of USA TODAY Sports:

Owner Team Donated Main Party
1. Rob Walton Broncos $16,597,200 R
2. Arthur Blank Falcons $3,328,000 D
3. David Tepper Panthers $2,887,500 R
4. Woody Johnson Jets $1,806,300 R
5. Carrie Walton Penner Broncos $1,064,900 D
6. Edward Glazer Buccaneers $735,300 R
7. Jimmy Haslam Browns $696,637 R
8. Greg Penner Broncos $171,500 R
9. Michael Bidwill Cardinals $106,000 R
10. Stephen Ross Dolphins $99,300 R

The 2024 United States elections will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

The Walton-Penner family purchased the Broncos for $4.65 billion in 2022. They later added three minority owners to the ownership group.

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