If you’ve been following the headlines lately, you could easily be forgiven for thinking that the fight over stablecoin yields is the only sticking point holding the United States back from the crypto industry’s long awaited comprehensive market structure legislation. But sadly, you’d be wrong.

For months now, the headlines have fixated on a genuine but ultimately tractable disagreement: whether crypto platforms should be allowed to share yield from their Treasury bill reserves with stablecoin holders, or whether that practice should be restricted to protect traditional banks from competition for consumer deposits. It’s a real fight. The American Bankers Association has mobilized their entire lobbying arsenal against it. Coinbase has made it a red line. Senate negotiators have spent months trying to thread the needle. And they’ll probably figure it out eventually.

But while bank lobbyists and the media obsess over who exactly will get the privilege of pocketing stablecoin interest, Congress is getting dangerously close to gutting the single provision that will determine whether market structure actually delivers on its promise — or ends up crippling the very industry it claims to support. That provision – Section 604 of the current Senate draft – has to do with developer protections and whether those who write non-custodial software can be held liable by the USG as bona-fide money transmitters. Whether this section survives the Senate negotiation process intact will determine the fate of the entire bill.

This provision isn’t a technical footnote. It’s not some abstract philosophical debate. It is the load-bearing wall that supports the entire policy objective of this bill. And right now, it’s cracking.

The BRCA Is the Whole Ballgame

The Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, or BRCA, is a narrowly tailored provision with bipartisan origins. Introduced by Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), it does one essential thing: it clarifies that software developers and infrastructure providers who do not custody or control user funds are not money transmitters under federal law. That’s it. It doesn’t weaken anti-money laundering statutes. It doesn’t shield bad actors. It simply draws a line that should have been obvious from the start — that writing code is not the same as transmitting money.

Without the BRCA, developers of non-custodial software — the people who build the wallets, the protocols, and the decentralized applications that millions of Americans already use — face potential criminal liability under Section 1960 of the federal criminal code. Not civil penalties. Not regulatory fines. Criminal prosecution for the mere act of publishing software. 

This is not a hypothetical. We’ve already seen what “regulation by prosecution” looks like. In 2025, the developers behind Tornado Cash and Samourai Wallet were criminally prosecuted — not for personally laundering money, not for actively conspiring with criminals, but for simply writing and publishing code that other people used in ways the government didn’t like. Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill are now locked up serving federal sentences following their respective convictions in what often looked like a show trial. Roman Storm is being re-prosecuted and faces over a century in prison. And all this despite standing DOJ guidance to the contrary, a Treasury department which acknowledges the valid need for privacy/mixers, and an administration that claims to be “the most crypto-friendly” in history. No matter what shade of lipstick you want to put on it, the message from federal prosecutors is unmistakable: if you build non-custodial software in the United States, you do so at your own peril.

If the Senate CLARITY Act passes without robust BRCA protections, that message becomes the law of the land. And the rational response from every developer, every startup, and every venture-backed crypto firm in America will be the same: leave.

This is not an exaggeration. It is an economic certainty. No founder with competent legal counsel will accept a regulatory framework where writing open-source code can land you in a federal penitentiary based on which way the wind is blowing in Washington D.C. Instead they will incorporate in Singapore, in Switzerland, in the UAE — in any jurisdiction that doesn’t treat software engineers like unlicensed money transmitters. A CLARITY Act without strong BRCA developer protections, won’t just fail to bring clarity. It will accelerate the very capital flight that Congress claims to be trying to prevent.

Congress Could Kill the Agentic Economy in Its Crib

The developer exodus would be catastrophic enough on its own. But the timing here couldn’t be worse because Congress could very well end up strangling a nascent technological revolution that has the potential to generate material GDP growth for decades to come: the agentic economy.

Autonomous AI agents — software systems that can negotiate, transact, and execute tasks on behalf of users without the need for human intervention — are emerging as the next great computing paradigm. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang projected a $1 trillion agentic AI opportunity at GTC 2026. OpenAI is building models purpose-designed for multi-agent architectures. Institutional capital is flooding in. And the infrastructure these agents need to operate at scale — micropayments, 24/7 settlement, programmable wallets, cryptographic verification — is all built using blockchains.

This is not a crypto-native fever dream. It is the consensus view of the world’s largest technology companies and investors. AI agents need permissionless, always-on financial rails. Traditional payment systems, with their batch settlements, minimum transaction fees, and business-hour limitations, cannot support an economy where machines transact with machines thousands of times per second. Blockchains can. And the developers building that nascent infrastructure are the same developers the CLARITY Act threatens to criminalize and drive offshore.

We’ve been here before. In the late 1990s, Congress faced a similar inflection point with the early internet. Lawmakers could have imposed heavy-handed regulations on the nascent web — requiring licenses for website operators, imposing liability on platform developers for user-generated content, taxing digital transactions before the market had a chance to mature. They chose restraint. That decision — deliberate, bipartisan, and far-sighted — enabled the creation of the most extraordinary engine of economic value in modern history. Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Tesla — trillions of dollars in publicly traded equity, millions of American jobs, and an entire generation of global technological leadership — all trace their origins to a Congress that understood that overzealous regulation kills innovation.

The agentic economy is the internet boom of the 2020s. The question is whether this Congress will show the same wisdom — or whether it will over-legislate a transformative technology in its infancy, ceding what should be a new generation of American economic dominance to competing jurisdictions that won’t make the same mistake.

An Affront to the Toolmaker Principle

Even if we set aside the economic catastrophe sure to follow in the wake of any official criminalization of crypto/AI software development, the government’s current approach to developer liability – which would become permanently anchored by a CLARITY Act without strong BRCA protections – represents something more fundamental: a violation of the basic principles of American law.

We do not prosecute automobile executives as accessories to bank robberies because the getaway driver used a Ford. We do not charge Google engineers with conspiracy because criminals coordinated an attack over Gmail. We do not indict Microsoft engineers for money laundering because a cartel tracked its finances using Excel. In every other domain of American commerce, we recognize a foundational legal principle: the maker of a tool is not liable for its misuse.

Crypto developers are the only class of toolmakers in the American economy being singled out for this retributive treatment. And the tool they are building — non-custodial, open-source software that empowers individuals to transact without intermediaries — is arguably more aligned with American values of individual liberty, financial privacy, and free enterprise than any technology since the printing press.

This is not a partisan observation. The BRCA was co-introduced by a Republican and a Democrat. It passed in the House of Representatives with a 70% margin. The principle it embodies — that publishing code is not a crime — should be as uncontroversial as the principle that publishing a newspaper is not a crime. Yet here we are, watching a Congress that promised to make America the crypto capital of the world negotiate away the one provision that would actually make that possible.

What Congress Needs to Hear

Making America the crypto capital of the world was a central promise of the current administration and the congressional majority that rode into office alongside it. Voters heard that promise. The industry heard it. The world heard it. The CLARITY Act, without bulletproof developer protections, would fall catastrophically short of delivering on that promise.

The fight over stablecoin yields will get resolved. Nobody wants to see the digital yuan win because bank lobbyists needed the gravy train to keep running through Wall Street. The regulatory competition between the SEC and the CFTC will get resolved. A new Howey framework will be developed. These are all important details, but ultimately they are just that – implementation details. The existential question — the one that determines whether there will even be an American crypto industry left to regulate by 2030 — is whether Congress will protect the developers who build this technology from criminal prosecution for the act of writing code.

The BRCA must be included in any market structure bill. It must be included with teeth. And it must not be diluted, carved out, or traded away in backroom negotiations over provisions that, however important, are not the difference between an industry that thrives in America and one that packs its bags for Hong Kong or Singapore.

Congress has a very narrow window of opportunity left. The midterm elections in November look poised to be a political earthquake. The legislative timer in Washington D.C. is rapidly running out of sand. A generational opportunity for the United States to assert its continued leadership in the new multi-polar world order is disappearing. The time to get this right is now — not because the crypto lobby is demanding it, but because the principles of American innovation, equal treatment under the law, and our continued economic and technological leadership of the world demand it.

The question is not whether the United States will have a market structure bill. The question is whether that bill will be worth the paper it’s printed on.

This is a guest post by Kyle Olney. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.

One of the more intriguing names in the Vikings’ 2026 undrafted free agent class never officially wound up signing with the team due to an issue with his physical, according to an insider.

Former Florida and Texas A&M linebacker Scooby Williams, who had a big 2024 season for the Aggies, was one of 19 undrafted rookies who agreed to terms to join the Vikings after last month’s draft. It was confirmed by the Vikings, Texas A&M, and Williams himself.

In part due to a nickname that came from his childhood love of Scooby-Doo fruit snacks (his given first name is Jeremiah), Williams was among the players who jumped out when looking at the list of Vikings UDFAs. He also appeared to have some real NFL upside as a 6’2″, 243-pound linebacker who had 11.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions over 18 games with the Aggies.

When we published an article a couple weeks ago about the seven undrafted rookies with the best chance to make the Vikings’ roster, Williams was the cover image and the first name listed. With the Vikings not having a ton of proven depth at off-ball linebacker, it wasn’t too difficult to squint and see Williams making a strong impression. He figured to fit in nicely in Brian Flores’ scheme with his ability to trigger downhill and make plays.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who ranked Williams as his No. 26 linebacker in this draft, wrote that Williams “entered the 2025 season with early-round grades from NFL scouts.” But Brugler also noted in his scouting report that Williams missed six games last year with high ankle sprains to both ankles, after previously having meniscus surgery in the offseason. “Staying off the injury report could be the greatest obstacle for his pro career,” Brugler wrote.

Williams attended the combine but never did athletic testing in the pre-draft process for injury reasons, and it appears a medical issue has resulted in him not officially putting pen to paper with the Vikings.

The Vikings’ official website’s story on the 19 UDFAs has a May 11 update that states “Williams did not sign with the Vikings.” That explains why he wasn’t on the roster for last Friday’s rookie minicamp, which some astute diehard fans noticed. And on Tuesday, replying to one of those fans on X, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reported that an issue with Williams’ physical is the reason.

Issue w/ his physical

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) May 12, 2026

That may also explain why the Vikings signed former Kansas, South Carolina, and Pitt linebacker Bangally Kamara after rookie minicamp.

Minnesota’s 90-man roster now has one open spot.

For Californians, vehicle registration has never been just paperwork. It is the document that keeps a commute legal, a delivery route moving, and a family car on the road. On June 3, 2024, the California Department of Motor Vehicles stopped processing in-person simple, non-delinquent registration renewals. The state pushed those routine transactions to online channels, self-service kiosks, mail, phone services, and authorized business partners. The DMV said the change could reduce office traffic by 200,000 visits a month, or 2.4 million trips a year. That figure shows the scale of the state’s digital turn.

The shift changed more than the procedure. It changed the stakes for drivers who need quick answers, clear instructions, and dependable service when deadlines loom. A missed renewal can disrupt work, delay daily routines, and add financial pressure. For that reason, companies that help drivers complete registration tasks now occupy a more visible place in California’s administrative life. NeedTags has sought to meet that demand with a model centered on speed, clarity, and direct customer support.

A Digital Shift In California

The DMV presented the June 2024 rule as part of a broader digital transformation. The agency said the majority of its transactions were already available online and described itself as moving toward a mobile-first system. The change reflected a practical calculation: routine renewals no longer required a field-office visit when customers could complete them elsewhere. State officials sought to cut wait times, reduce congestion, and reallocate staff to more complex cases.

For drivers, however, the policy carried a more immediate meaning. Simple registration renewals that are not past due must now move through online systems, mail, kiosks, phone support, or DMV business partners. That process may save time, but it also places greater pressure on the user to understand deadlines, documents, and next steps. Consequently, digital convenience has become inseparable from readability and customer guidance. The process must work quickly, but it must also make sense to people who do not speak the language of bureaucracy.

Where NeedTags Fits

The California DMV identifies NeedTags as an authorized business partner within its registration network. That status places it among the private services that can handle certain registration-related transactions while charging additional service fees. On its website, the company says it has been officially licensed by the California DMV to provide services on the agency’s behalf. It also states that it is not owned or operated by the DMV. Those distinctions matter because drivers need to know exactly who is handling the transaction and under what terms.

Its role has become clearer since the state narrowed the path for in-person renewals. Drivers who once relied on a field-office visit must now choose among digital options, and many want a faster route through a process that still carries legal and financial consequences. The company presents itself as a service that simplifies renewal tasks, provides digital support, and helps customers move through registration requirements with less friction. Rather than relying on broad promises, it ties its value to concrete needs: faster processing, easier access, and clearer handling of routine compliance.

A Faster System, A Clearer Choice

Digital transactions require trust, and trust depends on plain disclosures, readable instructions, and a clear explanation of fees and services. The company says it offers a simpler, faster way to complete California registration tasks and identifies itself as a licensed third-party provider. That framing speaks directly to a public that increasingly handles government-linked transactions on screens rather than at counters.

At the same time, the state’s policy change has made online registration more central to everyday life for ordinary drivers. Routine renewals no longer flow through the familiar in-person system, so the quality of digital guidance matters more than ever. For that reason, the next phase of this story belongs to services that can pair speed with clarity and convenience with accountability. The company is betting that drivers will reward a registration experience that feels more intelligible, more direct, and better suited to the rhythms of modern life.

Block Inc.’s (XYZ) Square has crossed a threshold of roughly 1 million merchants now enabled to accept Bitcoin payments.

The figure, cited by a member of Block’s team, reflects a wave of auto-enrollment that began March 30, when Square automatically switched on BTC payments by default for eligible U.S. sellers.

At its peak pace, a new business was activating the feature every eight seconds. The rollout is powered by the Lightning Network, enabling near-instant settlement while merchants receive U.S. dollars by default, removing currency risk from the equation.

In other words, customers can pay in Bitcoin via Lightning while merchants still receive USD settlements, with the system handling conversion in the background and allowing sellers to opt out if needed.

Bitcoin as everyday money

At the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, Block outlined an expanded push to make bitcoin usable as everyday money rather than simply a long-term investment. Speaking on the Nakamoto Stage, Bitcoin Product Lead Miles Suter said BTC “must circulate, not just sit still,” arguing that the cryptocurrency loses its transformational value if it does not function as peer-to-peer cash.

Suter highlighted Block’s growing adoption metrics, revealing at the time that there were more than 800,000 Square merchants who now have BTC payments auto-enrollment enabled. This number seems to be above According to Suter, a new business activates the feature every eight seconds. The company is also rolling out a tap-to-pay BTC feature using NFC hardware and the Lightning Network, eliminating QR codes and offering zero processing fees through 2026.

The company’s broader strategy centers on integrating bitcoin across its ecosystem. Cash App users can now automatically convert peer-to-peer payments into BTC, earn 5% Bitcoin Back rewards at Square merchants, and withdraw up to $10,000 per day and $25,000 per week. 

Block also introduced an updated Bitkey hardware wallet featuring a touchscreen and 2-of-3 multisig security model designed to simplify self-custody.

Alongside the product announcements, Block released its Q1 2026 proof-of-reserves report showing holdings of 28,355.05 BTC worth roughly $2.2 billion.

The Phoenix Suns have been bystanders to the second round of NBA postseason action after being eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder, though some have had better seats than others.

No other than Suns forward Dillon Brooks was courtside for the Los Angeles Lakers’ eventual loss to OKC, sweepting L.A. out of the postseason in similar 4-0 series fashion to Phoenix.

Brooks, probably one of the NBA’s top-hated players, seemed to enjoy every minute of it, sitting right next to the hoop and watching rival LeBron James bow out of the playoffs for one could possibly be his final game, at least in a Lakers uniform.

Nah man Dillon Brooks a REAL VILLAIN

Bro showed up to Game 4 just to hatewatch LeBron I’M IN TEARS pic.twitter.com/noAnFRa7pS

— Hater Report (@HaterReport) May 12, 2026

Brooks and James have a pretty heated history against each other, which was only turned up when Brooks arrived to Phoenix last summer in the blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. Though Brooks reached new levels in terms of scoring at 20 points per game (a career high) his “villain” mantra was very much a storyline.

That included some words for James when the Suns played the Lakers, as Brooks said he wouldn’t “bow” to James like others across the league do while also calling him a “social media junkie” this past season.

Yet that mentality was somewhat flipped when Brooks spoke with Yahoo!’s Kelly Iko after Game 4, as Brooks offered a surprisingly nice sentiment on James:

“I don’t think it’s his last year,” Brooks said. “I think he got one more in him. I watched him when I was in the NBA, when I was a kid in high school. He’s got a phenomenal career and battled everybody and done it at a high level throughout. It’s been amazing to watch overall, a pleasure to battle against him.”

Still, Brooks was pretty ecstatic to see the Lakers go out and show some love to the Thunder — especially fellow Canadian in guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

SGA and Dillon Brooks link up after Game 4 in LA pic.twitter.com/bq7LecROQs

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) May 12, 2026

There’s hope the Suns will be playing at this time next season, which will require Brooks and the rest of Phoenix’s cast to take their game to new heights.

“Technical fouls, I’ll say I love them… I’d rather him not get suspended, but I take him as he is,” Suns owner Mat Ishbia said on Brooks.

“Can he get better at things? Absolutely, but he’s a leader, he cares, I love him, I love having him here. Dillon deserves everything he’s gotten. He’s earned it. You get what you deserve in life. Dillon deserves everything he’s gotten. He’s earned it.”

Whether that comes against James and the Lakers next year remains to be seen.

Hayden Panettiere wasn’t given the time to privately grieve the loss of her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere. After news of his sudden death broke in February 2023, the Scream franchise actress faced constant questioning about her late brother, who was also in the entertainment business. Jansen, who was just 28, died from a health complication.

At the time, the Panettiere family released a statement to TODAY, thanking the public for “the outpouring of love and support towards our family as we navigate this unthinkable loss [sic].”

“Jansen’s heart could be seen in his eyes, and his charm in his brilliant, engaging smile; his soul in his masterful and revealing paintings, and the joy of life in his dry wit,” the statement read. “His charisma, warmth, compassion for others, and his creative spirit will live forever in our hearts and in the hearts of all whom he encountered. … We love you so much, Jansen, and you will be in our hearts forever.”

Three years later, Hayden tearfully recalled learning of his younger brother’s passing during an interview with Jay Shetty. She called Jansen her “best friend” and remembered, “screaming, ‘I don’t want to live in a world where he doesn’t exist.’”

Learn more about Jansen, his career, health and more, below.

Hayden Panettiere’s Brother Was an Actor

Like Hayden, Jansen was an actor. He began his film career in the early 2000s, having appeared in television show episodes — including The Walking Dead — and in voiceover roles. Among his most notable film credits include The Forger and The Martial Arts Kid. Before Jansen died, he had worked on several films, including American Game, Horse and Justice Angel, which are expected to be released posthumously.

Jansen Panettiere’s Health

Before Jansen died, no health issues or medical setbacks were ever disclosed to the public. However, his death resulted from a heart complication.

What Happened to Jansen Panettiere?

According to the Panettiere family’s public statement, Jansen died from cardiomegaly, a.k.a an enlarged heart.

“Though it offers little solace, the medical examiner reported Jansen’s sudden passing was due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart,) coupled with aortic valve complications,” the statement read.

Per the Cleveland Clinic, cardiomegaly is a condition that strains the heart. Anyone living with this has a larger heart than what is considered normal, and the condition can be either temporary or permanent. An enlarged heart has a problem pumping blood efficiently and can, therefore, cause other complications, including heart failure or stroke.

According to the website, the common cause of an enlarged heart is coronary heart disease. However, it’s unclear if Jansen was ever diagnosed with this. Other causes of the condition include arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, hypertensive heart disease and several more.

Cardiomegaly can be diagnosed through a chest X-ray, a cardiac CT scan or an electrocardiogram (EKG).

MARA Holdings has begun to shed its pure-play bitcoin miner identity, unloading $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin in the first quarter as it refocuses on power infrastructure and artificial intelligence data centers.

The shift comes as the company reports weaker financial results and leans on its bitcoin treasury to retire debt and fund a large energy acquisition in Ohio.

The company reported first-quarter revenue of $174.6 million, an 18% drop from a year earlier, and a net loss of about $1.3 billion. Management tied that result to a roughly $1 billion negative change in the fair value of its digital assets after a double-digit slide in the bitcoin price over the period.

MARA produced 2,247 bitcoin in the quarter and lifted energized hashrate 33% year over year to 72.2 exahash per second, but those operational gains did not offset the mark-to-market hit on its holdings.

To strengthen its balance sheet, MARA sold about $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin during the quarter, including a $1.1 billion block near the end of the period used to repurchase convertible notes. 

The miner sold 20,880 bitcoin and ended the quarter with 35,303 coins, down from 38,689 earlier in the year. That sale pushed the company from the second- to the fourth-largest publicly traded holder of bitcoin, according to Bitcoin Treasuries data.

Management framed the move as a use of bitcoin as “ammunition” on the balance sheet rather than an untouchable reserve.

MARA is pivoting from bitcoin to AI 

Even as it continues to mine, MARA is signaling a strategic pivot away from aggressive expansion of dedicated mining capacity. In its earnings statement the company said it does not expect to make large purchases of new ASIC miners, a sharp contrast with the playbook miners used during the last cycle to chase hashrate growth.

Instead, MARA is steering capital toward energy and data infrastructure that can support both bitcoin mining and high-performance computing workloads.

A centerpiece of that plan is the pending $1.5 billion acquisition of the Long Ridge Energy & Power campus in Hannibal, Ohio, which includes a 505-megawatt gas-fired power plant and extensive land for expansion.

MARA says the site could support more than 600 megawatts of AI and critical IT loads through staged buildouts, with its existing mining footprint integrated into the campus. 

The company has also partnered with Starwood Capital to convert selected mining sites into AI and high-performance computing data centers, broadening its revenue base beyond block rewards.

Around 90% of MARA’s non-hosted mining capacity could eventually support AI and IT infrastructure, according to company disclosures. 

The strategy positions MARA at the center of two energy-hungry sectors, bitcoin mining and AI compute, while giving it the option to tilt power toward whichever market offers stronger returns at a given time. 

1. “Sunday at 1.”

For the die-hard NFL fan, that phrase means something. There is a special anticipation that builds as each minute ticks away until kickoff across the country. If you’re an NFL Sunday Ticket customer, you can have anywhere from one to four games on your television as you get ready to monitor a slew of games kicking off at 1 p.m. ET.

Each season, though, the Sunday package of games becomes weaker and weaker thanks to the NFL selling off games here and there. It appears that the 2026 season will feature a more feeble Sunday slate than ever before.

Sunday Ticket still has some value early in the season before the byes and the Saturday games. But once Thanksgiving comes along in Week 12, Sunday Ticket becomes an afterthought.

This year, a game that would’ve been played on Sunday will now be played on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. Then you have the three games on Thanksgiving. And this year, there will be two Black Friday games for the first time ever. What’s left for Sunday at 1?

In addition, this season will feature Saturday games in Week 15, 16, 17 and 18. Last year, the Saturday games didn’t start until Week 16. So, where is that Week 15 Saturday night game coming from? It’s coming from CBS’s regional package on Sunday. Another hit for Sunday at 1.

Also new for 2026, the NFL will play a record-setting nine international games. These games are all in standalone windows. These are games that would normally be part of the Sunday Ticket package.

This will be the third year that the NFL airs a second primetime game in Week 1. The previous two times it happened, the game was played on the Friday night after the traditional Thursday night opener. This season, the traditional NBC opener featuring the Seahawks will air on Wednesday, Sept. 9. On Thursday, the 49ers and Rams will play at 8:30 p.m., ET on Netflix.

There are two problems with this trend. One, many fans love the Sunday at 1 window. However, the NFL is making it such that you can blow off the early Sunday games because the schedule features nothing but duds. Second, and most importantly, by far, is that NFL Sunday Ticket costs $480 for the year if you are not a YouTubeTV subscriber. FOUR. HUNDRED. AND. EIGHTY. DOLLARS. (The Sunday Ticket price for YouTubeTV subscribers is $378.)

I’ve had NFL Sunday Ticket since 1999. I’ve always said I’d have it for life no matter what price they charge. For the first time ever, I’m considering skipping Sunday Ticket for this season. Unless you are a fan of an out-of-market team, I don’t see Sunday Ticket as the necessity it used to be in the past.

You know the cliché saying, you get what you pay for? Well, you’re not getting much for what you pay for anymore with NFL Sunday Ticket.

2. This sort of ties into the theme of the lead item. It’s good to see some fans pushing back on the absurd World Cup ticket prices. According to Front Office Sports, tons of tickets remain available for the event. Sports fans never seemed to mind getting priced gauged, but maybe that’s changing.

Thousands of World Cup tickets remain unsold less than a month from its start.

Prices, already exorbitantly high, have only now begun to barely fall, but FIFA will need a more dramatic drop in costs if it wants to fill stadiums, experts tell FOS.

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 12, 2026

The ticket prices for CanadaRED members in the latest draw for World Cup tickets: pic.twitter.com/56eJ0xYrDP

— Dominic Šramaty (@DomSramaty) May 11, 2026

Nearly 3000 unsold tickets for Canada’s first World Cup match vs Bosnia in Toronto June 12th

Worth over 8 million in sales#CanMNT https://t.co/0nvRys93bm pic.twitter.com/taNwjX2XjC

— RGF (@rgfray1) May 11, 2026

FIFA is charging $33,000 for a World Cup Final ticket—@BakerMachado gets into the details pic.twitter.com/0JPDvrERHm

— Front Office Sports News (@FOS_News_) May 11, 2026

3. This is a couple of weeks old, but this is so creative that I needed to give these Brewers fans props for figuring out how to have a spaghetti feast while watching a game.

We understand the spaghetti policy pic.twitter.com/hkVetiKc0y

— Beer Enjoyer (@YungGiamatti) April 29, 2026

From the “you learn something new every day department,” several teams will allow you to bring spaghetti to the ballpark.

The MLB Spaghetti Policy – Teams who will allow you to bring in a gallon ziplock bag of spaghetti to a game.

Want to add the Phillies here too. Their policy was unclear online but we found posts this morning showing they’d allow it too. https://t.co/rt0LXJ2sx3 pic.twitter.com/OQEnT0LqXI

— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) May 11, 2026

4. On one hand, I loved hearing Bengals coach Zac Taylor tell Peter Schrager that he loves craps because I love craps. On the other hand, I’m disappointed to hear Taylor and Schrager are so staunch about playing the Come Line. I’m 100% a Don’t Come player.

Zac Taylor. On his love for … craps.
ROLL THOSE BONES. pic.twitter.com/sgkyPfIAxf

— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) May 9, 2026

5. The Giants don’t win that much (17–24), so they get very excited when they pull off a victory.

pic.twitter.com/wsIHUdvLGC

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 12, 2026

6. The latest SI Media With Jimmy Traina features segments with Richard Deitsch of Sports Business Journal and Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post.

The podcast kicks off with Deitsch discussing the latest sports media news. Topics include ratings for the NFL draft, NBA playoffs and Kentucky Derby, the status of Inside the NBA, CBS having interest in Russell Wilson, the future of Dianna Russini and much more.

Following Deitsch, Vaccaro joins the podcast to discuss the legendary career of John Sterling. The columnist details his relationship with Sterling while explaining what made Sterling unique and analyzing Sterling’s massive popularity among Yankees fans.

Following Vaccaro, Sal Licata, from SNY TV and The Sal Licata Show, joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week’s topics include my review of Netflix’s Hulk Hogan documentary, the Kentucky Derby, the Knicks’ playoff run, Ben Stiller choosing the Met Gala over the Sixers-Knicks playoff game and more.

You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on YouTube.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: The greatest Beverly Hills, 90210 episode aired on this date in 1993.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.

Eileen Wang, the now-former mayor of Arcadia, a suburb of Los Angeles County, California, admitted to acting as an illegal agent for China over the past few years. The controversy prompted curiosity among American voters about her political party affiliation, since she had switched parties in the past. So, is she currently a Democrat or a Republican?

City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto confirmed on May 11, 2026, that Wang had resigned from the council, calling the allegations against her “deeply troubling.”

Below, learn Wang’s political party affiliation and her controversial resignation as the mayor of Arcadia.

Why Did Eileen Wang Resign as Mayor of Arcadia, California?

As previously noted, Wang admitted to acting as an agent for China from the years 2020 through 2022. FBI Director Kash Patel announced the news via X on May 11, 2026.

“Mayor Wang admitted to acting as a foreign agent from at least 2020 through 2022 – promoting PRC [People’s Republic of China] propaganda in the U.S. and acting at PRC’s direction to promote their interests,” Patel wrote. “FBI and our federal partners continue to move aggressively to root out this kind of influence in American institutions all over the country.”

Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang in California has been charged with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China in the United States.

Mayor Wang admitted to acting as a foreign agent from at least 2020 through 2022 – promoting PRC propaganda in the U.S. and acting…

— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) May 11, 2026

In a statement to the Courthouse News Service, an attorney for Wang, Brian Sun, said that she “apologizes and is sorry for the mistakes she has made in her personal life.” ”

Her love and devotion for the Arcadia community have not changed and did not waver,” Sun noted.

Is Eileen Wang a Democrat or a Republican?

Wang is currently a Democrat. She has been a part of the Democratic Party since 2022. However, she had been an active Republican voter before switching parties in 2022.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Wang has lived in Southern California for three decades since moving to the U.S. from China.

Will Eileen Wang Go to Prison?

Wang has not formally pleaded guilty yet to the charge of acting as an illegal agent for China, but the charge could result in up to 10 years of prison time.

U.S. inflation data came in hotter than expected on Wednesday, reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates steady at 350-375bps not only at its June 17 meeting, but also likely through the end of the year.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) year-over-year rose 3.8% in April, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists’ forecasts had been for a rise of 3.7% following March’s 3.3% increase.

On a month-over-month basis, CPI rose 0.6%, above expectations of 0.3% and up from March’s 0.2%.

Core CPI, which excludes food and energy costs, rose 0.4% in April versus forecasts of 0.2% and March’s 0.3%. Year-over-year core CPI was higher by 2.8% versus forecasts of 2.7% and March’s 2.6%.

Under pressure this morning, bitcoin BTC$80,621.04 traded at $80,700 following the report, down 1.2% over the past 24 hours.

U.S. stock index futures were down across the board, and the 10-year treasury yield came in higher at 4.44%. WTI crude oil is posing a threat to the markets, and is higher by 3% on the day at $101.

Ahead of the CPI data, markets were pricing in a 98% probability that the Federal Reserve would leave interest rates unchanged at its March meeting, according to the CME Fed Watch tool.

Kevin Warsh is set to be confirmed as the next Federal Reserve Chair this week, as he is expected to take over from Jerome Powell on May 15.