Monthly Archives: March 2022

Yahoo Sports Senior NFL Writer Charles Robinson and Yahoo Sports Columnist Shalise Manza Young discuss the NFLs decision to require each of their clubs to hire a female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority to serve as an offensive assistant. Hear the full conversation on the You Pod to Win the Game podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen.

CHARLES ROBINSON: You see the league now starting to make strides, or trying to attempt, however you want-- if you want to say they're doing it for optics, you want to say they're actually doing it to try and change things-- however you want to absorb it, there's movement. And the movement, I think, is absolutely spurred by the Brian Flores lawsuit. And I think part of it today was know Roger Goodell got asked about this adding a minority in an offensive assistant position-- mandating it. And the league's thought process is, offensive coaches are getting hired like crazy, OK? And we need more minority positions. We need more minorities on the offensive side of the ball to start to grow that tree, grow the pool of candidates. This is clearly what teams are hiring. We need minorities groomed on this side of the ball. And it is just not happening right now. So we need to go ahead and attack it head on. SHALISE MANZA YOUNG: But they're there. They're there. They're there. Byron Leftwich should be the coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. CHARLES ROBINSON: I'm not-- I'm not defending the stance or structure of it. SHALISE MANZA YOUNG: I know, you're just-- I'm not trying to shooting the messenger. But this idea-- because it just kind of feels like it goes back to, oh, the pipeline, the pipeline. It's there. There are men there. There are qualified, capable men of color on the offensive side of the ball who are there. You're just not hiring them. You're excluding them. And I struggle with this new thing about you have to have-- it's either an ethnic minority or a woman. And you know, to keep it 100, that puts me in a little bit of a mixed position. Because the data has shown that white women benefit more from affirmative action type rules than people of color do. So will it be great if we see a woman as an offensive coordinator in five or seven years? It would be amazing. But at the end of the day, I just am so pessimistic that anything's ever going to change and we're just going to keep seeing Black men, in particular, excluded from these positions. And you know, the gatekeepers in the NFL have been wrong all along. I mean, they deliberately excluded Black men from the game for years. Once they finally let them back in, it was only at the wide receiver or the running back position, because what was the thinking? Up until-- it still persists in some circles. Oh, Black men aren't leaders, they're not smart enough to be quarterbacks and all that kind of stuff. Well, that's been completely debunked because three or four of the best quarterbacks in the league right now are Black-- young Black quarterbacks. So it just feels like-- I'm just very pessimistic on this. I guess I shouldn't be, but I'm overly very pessimistic about-- CHARLES ROBINSON: Well, look. SHALISE MANZA YOUNG: This deliberate exclusion, it feels like. CHARLES ROBINSON: Track record supports pessimism. And it's endorsed pessimism, because there is a track record, particularly from the coaching standpoint of it. And let's be honest, there was a lot of pessimism when I started covering the league 20 years ago. There wasn't a plethora of Black quarterbacks at the position. It was still very much talked about like, hey, you know, it's never going to be an overwhelmingly mainstream position where you see Black players playing quarterback. And you know, it did change over time, but it was somewhat organic. It was someone on the collegiate level. Like, there was a number of factors that went into it. It wasn't just the NFL ramrodding it and going, we just need to-- it kind of did happen organically. Maybe that can happen organically here, although it's different, because it's talent acquisition versus leadership acquisition versus, you know, other elements of things that get measured. What I think, though, is interesting-- and I think the point I was trying to make was you see the NFL saying here's this thing that's not working. We just need to do this. And I think they even had to have known this is going to look like what I said-- ramrodding. Like, we're just straight up going-- but they're like-- I think the NFL is out of options. I don't think-- they're just like, look, we're just going to do it. Like, we don't care if people have an issue with it or not. Now it's a mandate. Like, we're done trying to entice, or incentivize, or all this other [BLEEP] We're just going to say, it's a mandate. We don't care.

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Is mandating that all 32 teams hire a diverse offensive assistant the right move for the NFL? | You Pod to Win the Game - Yahoo Sports

Weeks after Russian soldiers took over the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine, new reports reveal that the invading forces have engaged in reckless behavior at the facility beyond their initial shelling of it.

The Chernobyl power plant, which suffered a reactor meltdown in 1986 that left dangerously high radiation levels in the area, was the site of one of the first face-to-face confrontations in the Ukraine War. Russian forces won that battle, taking control of the reactors and raising concerns throughout Europe about their stewardship of them.

Recent reports show just how real those concerns were.

While the Russian army has occupied the Chernobyl plant, Ukrainian workers remain stationed there and overseeing the sites safety protocols. Around 200 employees were still at Chernobyl as of March 7, according to the BBC, where they have continued carrying out duties despite limited food and medical supplies. Chernobyl workers are usually rotated out regularly, but since the Russian occupation employees have had to endure dangerous weeks-long shifts.

Two of these employees have reportedly witnessed instances of rash and dangerous conduct by the Russians, according to Reuters, with one source calling their behavior suicidal. Some soldiers had reportedly never heard about the disaster that some historians believe signaled the beginning of the end for the Soviet Union.

Shortly after the occupation started, Ukrainian officials warned that radiation levels at Chernobyl were rising due to a large number of heavy military machines disturbing the topsoil around the area. These reports have now been confirmed by employees working at Chernobyl around the time of the invasion who observed a big convoy of military vehicles driving straight through zones so contaminated with radiation that even trained safety workers at Chernobyl are not allowed to venture there.

Russian armored vehicles without radiation protection were seen driving through an area called the Red Forest, an area of woods four square miles in size surrounding the power plant. The area absorbed so much radiation from the Chernobyl explosion that its trees turned a gingery brown color, giving the forest its nickname. It is considered one of the worlds most radioactive places.

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The employees said that the military vehicles kicked up a big column of dust, which may be what sent radiation levels soaring in the area following the invasion. The workers believed that breathing in that much radioactive dust could cause radiation poisoning, which can quickly turn lethal.

Valery Seida, the acting general of Chernobyl, has not been at the power plant since the invasion and could not verify the reports, but did confirm several witness accounts of recklessness by Russian soldiers who drove wherever they needed to, without heeding the warnings of plant safety officials.

The Russian army has made occupying nuclear power plants a common practice during its campaign in Ukraine. Around a week after taking Chernobyl, Russian forces took over the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear plant, in southern Ukraine.

Ukrainian and Western officials have said that keeping radiation levels at nuclear power plants contained is of paramount importance. In a nearly two-hour call earlier in March, French President Emmanuel Macron spent most of the conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin discussing safety protocols at Chernobyl and other nuclear power plants in Ukraine.

Since being taken by Russian forces, Chernobyl has lost electrical power multiple times, which Ukrenergo, Ukraines electrical grid operator, has said could impair the plants safety and containment protocols.

Ongoing military activity in the area surrounding Chernobyl has continued well into March. Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency warned that Russian shelling near the plant was preventing workers from rotating their shifts after nearly weeks of continuous work, endangering the plant and its safety protocols.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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Chernobyl employees say Russian soldiers had no idea what the plant was and call their behavior suicidal - Yahoo Finance

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After a string of 11 (!) games in which Hellebuyck allowed at least three goals, the former Vezina winner has returned to form lately with five goals allowed in his last three games, including a 42-save shutout win against Vegas. His raw numbers still aren't very good, but at least he's still winning games. Despite a 3.15 GAA in March, which ranks 12th of 15 goalies with at least 10 appearances, Hellebuyck has still managed to win seven games, tied for the second-most in the month. He's been able to do this because the Jets' offense has been excellent during that span, averaging the fourth-best GF/GP. With Nikolaj Ehlers back, the Jets' offense is pretty much at full strength, and as long as their offense flies high, it should make it easy for Hellebuyck to rack up wins.

Connor Hellebuyck's resurgence has gone hand-in-hand with the Jets' healthy offense. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Other than a disastrous January (2-4-1, .884 Sv%, 4.61 GAA), Reimer has been very good this season and in March has allowed just eight even-strength goals in six games. The Sharks aren't very good, but Reimer is a big reason why they've steered clear of the league basement all season, and even with Adin Hill and the recently added Kaapo Kahkonen on the depth chart, there's no question the Sharks think Reimer's their No. 1.

He's won three consecutive games. Granted, two of those games were against Arizona and Anaheim, but there are still two more games against them, not to mention they will also face Chicago twice and Seattle once more. Reimer is a good option for the occasional spot start down the stretch for fantasy managers scouring the waiver wire for an extra win or two.

It's not that Kallgren has played particularly well since his shutout debut, but another injury less than eight minutes into Petr Mrazek's start Tuesday against the Bruins has opened the door yet again for Kallgren to start. Kallgren allowed three goals on 26 shots coming in relief, and thanks to the Leafs' six-goal effort, managed to snag another win. Early reports indicate it's Mrazek's troublesome groin yet again, and Jack Campbell's return date has still not been set even though he's been practicing. The Leafs can provide a ton of good goal support, making Kallgren a good short-term target for fantasy managers.

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Perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised a 25-year-old undrafted goalie is saving the Knights' season, fitting right in with the rest of their "Golden Misfits." Thompson's circuitous path to the NHL had its skeptics, including the Knights themselves who started Laurent Brossoit in back-to-back games not too long ago. But Thompson continues to outplay Brossoit, and with news that Robin Lehner's rehab has suffered a setback, it looks like Thompson will continue to start. He's rostered in less than 15 percent of Yahoo leagues, and note the Knights have a very favorable schedule coming up, facing Arizona, Seattle twice and Vancouver three times.

Don't be surprised if Thompson emerges in the next couple of weeks as one of the league's best goalies, statistically, given his easy schedule.

Disregarding his 6-3 loss to the Bruins, in which the Islanders allowed an uncharacteristically high 44 shots, Varlamov has been very good the last two weeks. It feels like Varlamov's having a terrible season, but it's not really true if you look at his individual performance. By most public GSAA models, Varlamov continues to be well above average; his six wins in 21 starts is a huge eyesore, but it's mainly because he gets very, very little goal support. That may change now that Brock Nelson's line has been setting the league on fire, but Varlamov's fantasy value will get a big boost because of an injury to his running mate, Ilya Sorokin, who did not travel to Tuesday's game in Columbus. What was a 50-50 timeshare is now Varlamov's net since the Isles have shown a strong reluctance to play Cory Schneider.

Forsberg's raw numbers are excellent; it's just too bad the team in front of him isn't that good, with the likes of Travis Hamonic and Michael Del Zotto on defense. It's taken a lot of attention away from just how reliable Forsberg has been, whose strong performances recently netted him a multi-year extension, and with Matt Murray on the shelf and Filip Gustavsson giving little reason for the coaches to trust him, look for Forsberg to be Ottawa's undisputed No. 1. Managers looking to rack up the saves should look no further.

Honorable Mention: Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, Hurricanes; Cam Talbot and Marc-Andre Fleury, Wild; Jake Allen, Canadiens; Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning

There's been zero stability in the Caps' net all season and Vanecek has allowed 15 goals in his last four games, including five on just 23 shots in just two periods against the Canes. The irony with goaltending is that some goalies prefer to see more shots because it helps them get into a groove, and that does seem to be the case for Vanecek. However, note that the Caps have a tough stretch coming up against Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Boston and Toronto. Even if Ilya Samsonov somehow returns to be a hero, fantasy managers should not put too much confidence in either goalie. It's best to just avoid them altogether down the stretch due to their inconsistency and general unreliability.

Lankinen is rostered in nearly 30 percent of Yahoo leagues, an expected spike after Marc-Andre Fleury was dealt to Minnesota, paving the way for Lankinen to be their starter the rest of the season. However, Lankinen continues to struggle and there's definitely a scenario in which third-string Collin Delia begins to siphon some starts. Even in the best-case scenario, Lankinen and Delia will just give the Hawks a chance to stay in the game and cross their fingers in the hopes that their offense bails them out. Neither goalie is recommended in any fantasy leagues in any format.

Dishonorable Mention: John Gibson and Lukas Dostal, Ducks; Karel Vejmelka, Coyotes; Jacob Markstrom, Flames; Alex Nedeljkovic, Thomas Greiss and Calvin Pickard, Red Wings; Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen, Oilers; Cal Petersen, Kings; Juuse Saros, Predators; Nico Daws, Devils; Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev, Rangers

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Fantasy Hockey Goalies: Connor Hellebuyck has returned to form at the perfect time - Yahoo Sports

(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. extended gains on Tuesday, in a winning-streak last seen nearly two decades ago, as improved risk sentiment is sending investors back to the largest U.S. technology companies.

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Apple rose for an 11th-consecutive day in New York, climbing 1.9% to close at $178.96 and roughly $3 shy of a closing record reached in early January. The longest-winning streak since 2003 sent the stock back into the green for the year, and follows similar breakouts in Nvidia Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. in the past week.

What were seeing is the difference between companies that are actually performing phenomenally well and those whose future is harder to quantify, said Ross Gerber, chief executive officer of Gerber Kawasaki Inc. People are betting on the companies that are growing earnings the fastest over time.

With prospects for some scaling back in the war in Ukraine boosting risk sentiment, attention turned to Apples profits outlook. Analysts have increased their earnings per share estimates by 8.6% so far this year, while those for the S&P 500 have gained 4.6%, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Investors also largely bypassed a Nikkei report about production cuts, leaving the stock within striking distance of a $3 trillion market value.

The recent rally comes after a difficult start of the year for big tech, whose marquee names had fallen behind the broader market as the Federal Reserve signaled it would raise interest rates multiple times. Higher interest rates hurt the present value of future profits, hurting growth stocks with lofty valuations, including technology.

Read more: Key Treasury Curve Inches Closer to Inversion as Yields Decline

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But investors who initially fled the sector have started to come back, enticed by discounts and the belief large technology companies with strong balance sheets and broad exposure to fast-growing markets like cloud computing can continue to churn out bigger profits.

The selloff got overdone, and took these big tech names down to levels that were very attractive, said David Katz, chief investment officer at Matrix Asset Advisors. Apple is a very strong and dynamic growth company, and it remains at the better end of the pack in terms of its valuation.

Confounding Rally

Among the other Nasdaq 100 bellwethers, Amazon rose 0.2% on Tuesday, while Alphabet Inc. advanced 0.7% and Microsoft Corp. gained 1.5%. Despite this weeks rebound, the Nasdaq 100 remains down about 7% for the year.

The rally in big tech amid rising interest rates has left some investors scratching their heads. The yield on 10-year U.S. Treasuries has advanced more than 50 basis points this month to 2.39%.

Lisa Shalett, chief investment officer of Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley, wrote that the advance in the teach-heavy Nasdaq 100 has been confounding, as it comes at a time of higher interest rates as the Fed takes steps to fight inflation.

To Bill Stone, chief investment officer at Glenview Trust Co., the rally in big tech is a matter of investors looking to add to portfolios after the selloff and seeking out stocks with the highest returns on capital and low amounts of debt.

People are going shopping and they are certainly the ones that people will look at first, he said. Weve been telling clients to move to quality in case we go into a recession. Companies with low debt and high returns on capital wont suffer as much.

(Updates with closing prices throughout.)

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Apple Rallies Like Its 2003 as Buyers Flock Back to Big Tech - Yahoo Finance

Sophomore players are among the hardest to predict in fantasy baseball. They tend to be young, exciting players, but they also have small sample sizes of MLB data. Some players take a massive step forward in their sophomore year, while others fall victim to the dreaded sophomore slump.

Here are the 14 players who received multiple votes in the 2021 Rookie of the Year voting, and a quick-hitting analysis of where they are likely headed in 2022.

Arozarena looks great on the surface. After all, he followed up a memorable 2020 postseason by going 20-20 with a .274 average last year. But a closer look raises some cause for concern, as Arozarena struck out 170 times, and according to Statcast logged a lowly .220 xBA. Im avoiding the outfielder at his current Yahoo! ADP (54).

India created plenty of buzz in Spring Training but started the season slowly before warming up with the weather and being a terrific leadoff man all summer. I expect India to build off his rookie season, although his counting stats may be dinged by the Reds' decision to deplete their lineup. Still, Im happy to draft him at his ADP (pick 89).

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Rogers was brilliant last season, posting a 2.64 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. He made just 25 starts, but his August absence was due to a family emergency rather than an injury, which makes me feel comfortable projecting the right-hander for 30 starts this year. The Marlins are trending up, and I like Rogers at his ADP (pick 107).

Trevor Rogers could pay off his fantasy baseball ADP in a big way. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Garcia was an afterthought in 2021 drafts before making 30 appearances (28 starts) and posting helpful ratios (3.48 ERA, 1.18 WHIP). The right-hander is backed by one of baseballs best teams and a pitcher-friendly home park, and he is one of my favorite value picks at his current ADP (pick 150).

Franco is going to be one of the better players in the American League this year. This 21-year-old budding star has it all, and I can see him hitting .300 with an .850 OPS in his first full season. But Im still not drafting Franco at his ADP (pick 42), as he produced just seven homers and two steals in 70 games last year and needs to show more power or speed before warranting an early pick.

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Garcia started out hot (.840 first-half OPS) before fading badly in the second half (.626 OPS). The outfielder struggled to make contact (31.2 percent strikeout rate) and finished the year with a lowly .223 xBA, according to Statcast. Im staying far away from Garcia (ADP 169) in my 2022 drafts.

Carlson was solid as a rookie (.780 OPS) but doesnt steal bases and isnt a Statcast darling (.246 xBA). I would normally predict significant regression, but I know that there is good potential for continued skill development from someone who held his own in the Majors at age 22. I likely wont draft Carlson in any leagues this year, but Im fine with anyone who tabs him at his ADP (pick 156).

Clase is already one of the best closers in baseball and should notch 30-plus saves in his sophomore season. Im happy to draft Clase (pick 96) at any point after the top-three closers (Liam Hendriks, Josh Hader, Raisel Iglesias) are off the board.

The slugger carries a significant level of risk despite hitting 33 homers last year. His strikeout rate (27.5 percent in 2021) limits his ability to hit for a high average, and his power production should be negatively impacted by the decision to move the outfield fences back in Camden Yards. Im avoiding him at his ADP (pick 111).

Anderson has emerged as a solid starter but is unlikely to take the next step anytime soon. The right-hander mixes three pitches well and gets plenty of groundballs. But his 13.3 percent K-BB rate last season was a subpar mark, and his 4.30 xERA and 4.12 FIP paints a picture of someone who will contribute to fantasy teams but is being over-drafted at his current ADP (pick 137).

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McClanahan is a bit of a mixed bag. His rookie season K-BB rate was good (20.1 percent), he regularly mixes four pitches and he works for a team that typically provides fantasy managers with strong pitching options. That being said, he gave up plenty of line drives and hard contact last year, causing Statcast to assign him a 4.60 xERA. Still, Im good with drafting McClanahan at his ADP (pick 114).

Stephenson is someone who should take another step forward this season. The Reds have opened up more playing time for the sophomore by trading away Tucker Barnhart. Stephenson (ADP 193) could immediately become one of the few catchers who supplies respectable power and helps with batting average.

Schwindel will open the season as one of the biggest mysteries in fantasy baseball. Such is life for someone who broke out at age 29 by posting a 1.002 OPS across 56 games with the Cubs. Chicago thought enough of Schwindels performance to have him open 2022 as their starting first baseman, making this boom-or-bust option a fine choice at his ADP (pick 181).

The rookie is someone who could take a small step back this year. The imposing right-hander certainly has strikeout skills (10.2 K/9 rate) but is still working on his control (3.2 K/9 rate) and last year logged a 3.80 FIP and 4.17 xFIP that dont match his 3.22 ERA. Im a little bit reluctant to draft Manoah at his pick 97 ADP.

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Fantasy Baseball: What will 2022 hold for these intriguing second-year players? - Yahoo Sports

There's reason to believe the Detroit Tigers could be a lot better this season. The projections don't see it though.

The PECOTA projected season standings from Baseball Prospectus offers fans a chance to either complain (if their team is lower than expected) or praise PECOTA (if their team is higher than expected). The fan base with the biggest issue this season is the Tigers.

The Tigers' projected win total is a full 11 games under its BetMGM odds. PECOTA has the Tigers at 67.3 wins, which is 11.2 wins less than the BetMGM season win total of 78.5. No other team has a difference of more than 7.8 wins between PECOTA projection and BetMGM odds.

Tigers fans shouldn't be too happy with that.

The optimism about the Tigers is twofold. They have young players on the rise and added some key veterans.

The Tigers have some prospects like Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene who probably should be on the opening day roster and could make an impact right away. Players like outfielder Akil Baddoo and pitcher Tarik Skubal could take steps forward after showing some promise.

This offseason, Detroit added shortstop Javier Baez, pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez and catcher Tucker Barnhart. The AL Central isn't too strong outside of the Chicago White Sox, and the Tigers saw an opportunity to take a step forward. They got aggressive.

If everything comes together, Detroit could improve from last season's 77-85 record. That's why BetMGM's season win total is set at 78.5. Just don't tell that to PECOTA, which is not a big Detroit fan this season. If you trust that projection, a Tigers under bet is pretty easy.

Detroit Tigers center fielder Akil Baddoo (60) is a big part of the team's young core. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

PECOTA, or any other projection, has flaws. It should not be the final word in anyone's future bets. But it's a tool, and if it is way off a team's odds, it's worth looking into.

There are other teams PECOTA hates. The San Francisco Giants' PECOTA projection of 77.7 wins seems crazy after they went 107-55 last season, but that's the second-biggest discrepancy compared to BetMGM odds. BetMGM has the Giants' season win total at 85.5, 7.8 off its PECOTA projection. The other teams whose BetMGM odds are five or more games higher than the PECOTA projections: St. Louis Cardinals (5.4-win difference), Tampa Bay Rays (5.2-win difference) and Kansas City Royals (5-win difference). If you trust PECOTA fully, those are your under bets this season.

The best over bet, based solely on PECOTA projections, is the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks' projection is 72.9, and the odds are set at 65.5. The Diamondbacks are interesting because Fangraphs' projections also like them. Fangraphs has Arizona at 70 wins, 4.5 wins over the BetMGM odds. Other possible over bets based on PECOTA projections: New York Yankees (7.2 wins over BetMGM odds) and Cincinnati Reds (5.9 over).

There's more to betting season win totals than blindly following a projection. But what projections do is eliminate the biases we can have and give us a win projection based on stats and simulations. And this season, the computers at least the ones at Baseball Prospectus really don't like the Tigers.

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MLB betting: Computer projections really hate Tigers (and other teams) this season - Yahoo Sports

On Wednesday, Baidu was added to an SEC provisional watchlist of companies that did not comply with auditing requirements. Here, people visit Baidu booth during 2021 World Artificial Intelligence Conference at Shanghai World Expo Center on July 10, 2021 in Shanghai, China.VCG/VCG via Getty Images

The SEC added Baidu to a provisional list of firms that failed US audit requirements.

If these firms continue to flout these requirements, they may be asked to delist in the US.

Beijing has rejected US demands to look into the audit books of its US-listed firms.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warned Chinese search giant Baidu on Wednesday that it could be removed from American stock exchanges if it fails to comply with auditing requirements.

The SEC did so by adding Baidu to a provisional watchlist that names foreign companies that did not give US authorities full access to their audit books.

Google is among several western tech sites blocked by China's "Great Firewall." Baidu's dominance in online search in China has earned it the moniker "China's Google." It's the largest Chinese tech company by market value on the SEC's provisional list, which also includes China's version of Twitter, Weibo, and online video site iQiyi. These Chinese tech firms now have 15 business days to dispute the SEC's decision.

Companies that have been conclusively identified by the SEC will have to comply with the US Public Accounting Oversight Board's (PCAOB) audits for three years in a row. If they fail to comply, they may be kicked off US exchanges entirely.

The SEC's decision on Wednesday intensifies an ongoing dispute between American and Chinese regulators over granting US officials full access to US-listed Chinese firms' auditing data.

The watchlist was compiled based on the 2020 Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which requires listed firms to prove that they're not owned or controlled by foreign governments. Even though the legislation applies to companies from any country, its sponsors have made it clear that they're targeting Chinese companies. Last year, the NYSE delisted China Unicom Hong Kong, China Mobile, and China Telecom for noncompliance.

Earlier this month, Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler said that the SEC was scrutinizing an additional 248 Chinese companies with a market capitalization of around $2.1 trillion.

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If China fails to provide access, said Gensler, those companies would be blocked from trading in the US "potentially as early as 2024."

Even though Beijing has rejected these demands citing national security concerns, it has, in recent weeks, been signaling that it's willing to find a compromise.

Chinese authorities have asked several large tech companies to prepare for more audit disclosures to US authorities to remain listed in America, Reuters reported. However, the PCAOB told Reuters they were still unsure if full access would be granted.

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Wall Street told 'China's Google' that it may have to delist amid ongoing US-China discussions over audit dispute - Yahoo Finance

Predictions that the Los Angeles Lakers would miss the playoffs were considered bold at midseason, when Anthony Davis was nursing another injury, Russell Westbrook's inefficiencies were glaring and LeBron James was carrying too great a burden for a 19-year veteran about to face a brutal second-half schedule.

All remain true, and it is starting to feel inevitable that the Lakers will miss the playoffs. What's worse: James suffered an ankle injury he described as "horrible" in Sunday's loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Lakers coach Frank Vogel declared James doubtful for Tuesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Lakers (31-43) might not even make the play-in tournament. They are clinging to 10th place in the Western Conference, just half a game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for the final play-in spot. They split their season series, and the Spurs currently own the tiebreaker by way of a superior conference record.

It is not as though the Lakers are trying to lose. Their first-round draft pick belongs to New Orleans if they finish with a bottom-10 record and Memphis otherwise. They currently own the league's ninth-worst record.

They have been that bad, and it could get worse.

Six of the Lakers' final eight games are against the West's top six seeds, and that does not include a rematch against the ninth-place Pelicans, who will benefit twofold from Los Angeles missing the playoffs.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James' status for Tuesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks is doubtful. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

The Spurs, meanwhile, beat the bottom-feeding Houston Rockets on Monday and will host a two-game set against the tanking Portland Trail Blazers over the weekend. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich would relish the opportunity to oust his longtime rivals from the postseason, and a few wins might be all he needs to do it.

The Lakers have the second-hardest remaining schedule. The Spurs are fifth in that regard.

Davis just completed his first practice six weeks removed from a right mid-foot sprain. He has played 10 games since mid-December, when he suffered a sprained left MCL. Even before then, he was performing well below expectations. There is no telling how much Davis can help over the next two weeks, if at all.

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James' 30.1 points per game lead the NBA, and his 37.2 minutes a night rank third among all players. He is 37 years old and has exceeded 40 minutes in five of his last nine games, including 42 minutes in Sunday's collapse against the Pelicans, the majority of which came after his ankle injury. This is concerning territory.

The Lakers have a negative net rating in meaningful minutes whether or not James or Davis have been in the lineup this season. They are being outscored by 6.6 points per 100 possessions when neither takes the court a bottom-six efficiency level. Force either or both to play the equivalent of playoff basketball for the rest of this season on bad feet, and the Lakers risk injuries that could further limit their chances next year.

The Lakers started Westbrook, Dwight Howard, Austin Reaves, Wenyen Gabriel and Stanley Johnson when James rested a sore left knee last week. Reaves is an undrafted rookie. Gabriel and Johnson did not appear on NBA rosters before Christmas. Howard, the future Hall of Famer, is barely a bit player in his 18th season.

And Westbrook? On only 16 occasions in NBA history has a regular rotational contributor posted a player efficiency rating below 15 and a usage rate greater than 27 for a single season. Westbrook will join that group. Antoine Walker is the only player ever to generate that level of high-volume inefficiency for a playoff team (the 2002-03 Boston Celtics). The last thing the Lakers want to do is hand the keys to Westbrook.

They might not have a choice. DJ Augustin, who signed on March 1, is the only other available point guard on the roster, save for part-time ballhandler Malik Monk. There is no one left to trust beyond James. He is now doubtful, and Westbrook may be the Lakers' best option a month after they tried to dump his contract.

This very well could be the most disappointing season in Lakers history. The closest comparison is the 2012-13 edition that featured Steve Nash and Howard on the infamous Sports Illustrated cover that read, "Now this is going to be fun." That team required 45.5 minutes per game from Kobe Bryant over a late-season stretch of six wins in seven games just to make the playoffs, which ended with his ruptured Achilles.

The Lakers proceeded to miss the playoffs for the next six years. The arrivals of James and Davis saved the franchise from ineptitude for a season, winning the 2020 championship in the bubble, but the Lakers are on a downslope again losing in the first round last season and still fighting for their playoff life late this year.

Missing the play-in tournament would be an embarrassment for a team that features an iconic player and four of the top 75 (plus Howard, who deserved to be on that list). But be honest: Entering the play-in with 30-something wins, needing two wins to make the playoffs, is nothing to text home about. The Lakers have not won consecutive games since beating the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings on Jan. 4 and 7, and it has not been a year since James said of the play-in, "Whoever came up with that s needs to be fired."

Now, it is his only chance, and even that glimmer of hope wanes each day. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Spurs are now four times as likely to make the playoffs as the Lakers. Imagine that. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard underdog long shots.

Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach

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LeBron James is doubtful, and so are the Lakers' playoff hopes - Yahoo Sports

Ryan Garcia is just 23 years old and still looks like he only needs to shave every four days or so. Hes just getting started in life, with so much to learn about the world and how it works.

Most of us thought we knew it all when we were 23, only to discover after another 23 years of living how much we still have to learn.

Garcia worked out for the media in San Diego on Tuesday in preparation for his fight in San Antonio on DAZN against Emmanuel Tagoe on April 9. Banners on the wall dubbed the fight The Return, which in many ways was discomfiting because 23-year-olds should be just beginning, not trying to start over.

But here was Garcia, now trained by Joe Goossen, preparing to fight for the first time since an impressive finish of Luke Campbell on Jan. 2, 2021, in Dallas. On that night, after Garcia finished the one-time Olympic gold medalist with a wicked body shot to win the interim WBC lightweight title, Garcia seemed ready, to borrow a phrase from Teofimo Lopez, to take over.

His arrow was pointing up and he was being trained not only by the best trainer in the world but working alongside Canelo Alvarez, the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.

He was only 22 at the time and superstardom seemed at hand.

Now, 14 months later, were ready for The Return, with as many questions as answers.

On April 24, he withdrew from a planned defense of the interim WBC belt against Javier Fortuna to manage his health and well-being. Garcia announced he was fighting mental health issues and stepped away from the sport for a while.

It was the wisest decision he could have made, shrewd beyond his 22 years at the time.

Ryan Garcia, 23, appears to be wise beyond his years. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Mental health is far too often ignored, and those who talk about it are treated as pariahs by many. Thankfully, thats changing, and Garcia received an outpouring of support, though it was not as widespread as it should have been.

We know what broken bones and torn ligaments are and, as lay people, can accept those and understand the timeframe to return. We know what cancer is and have had enough bad experiences with it to wish full blessings on anyone who may happen to get it.

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Mental health issues are not as clearly defined and easy to understand. Theyre impossible to see, and so if we cant see it and touch it, we tend to wonder if it exists.

We expect our athletes, fighters in particular, to be tough and to grit their teeth and work their way through injuries. We see fighters with massive cuts that impair their vision, or with broken bones in their hands, bravely soldier on, and wonder why someone who isnt damaged, has no visible injury, cant do the same.

Garcia, who is 21-0 with 18 knockouts, used a boxing analogy to explain his illness.

I got knocked out for the first time in my life and I took it well, he said. I reacted the way I imagined I would.

Alvarez was harsh. He told Complex that he felt Garcia was wasting his talent and spoke out in an attempt to motivate him.

Garcia was supposed to come back to fight Jojo Diaz in October, but suffered a hand injury that required surgery.

Alvarez questioned whether Garcia is fully committed to the sport that has, already, given him so much.

Look, Ryan has a lot of talent, Alvarez told Complex. But to me in my eyes, hes wasting a lot of time and wasting his talent. I look at him and dont see him 100 percent dedicated and, to us, thats a bad signal.

Alvarez and Garcia's former trainer, Eddy Reynoso, would know better than just about anyone whether the young fighter works hard enough in the ring. They were around him every day.

Alvarez is great because he has natural talent, but hes got a work ethic that few can match. Hes like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in that regard. They were the most physically talents of their eras, but they also worked the hardest to maximize that ability.

But dont misinterpret Alvarezs words about Garcia. Garcia did 100 percent the right thing withdrawing from the Fortuna fight and addressing his mental health issues.

Garcias choice of Goossen as his new trainer is curious if one looks at Garcia as a malingerer of sorts, a guy who doesnt give his all to his job.

Goossen is a notoriously hard-nosed trainer who will call his fighters out for a lack of effort. Rare is a Goossen-trained fighter who is not in peak physical condition. So if youre not prepared to go all out in pursuit of greatness, why willingly seek out Goossen?

It doesnt make much sense.

Goossen knew Garcia from afar, and said his impressions of the talented 23-year-old have been confirmed since they began to work together.

"I knew he had something special, Goossen said. We got along and there was something about him that appealed to me personality-wise and fighting-wise. Hes really attacking this like hes obsessed and possessed. Im genuinely impressed.

Its easy to be impressed by Ryan Garcia: By the ear-to-ear smile, by the massive social media following, by the fast hands and the crunching power.

But Im impressed with Garcia for a lot more than that. Hes a leader at 23, and wise enough to know that despite how tough he is, he has nothing to prove to anyone. You have to take care of a mental health issue just like you have to take care of a cold, or a sprained ankle, or a migraine headache.

Admitting to a mental health issue didnt make Ryan Garcia weak.

It just showed how smart he really is.

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The supremely talented Ryan Garcia remains on the right track - Yahoo Sports

The big shareholder groups in MSD Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:MSDA) have power over the company. Insiders often own a large chunk of younger, smaller, companies while huge companies tend to have institutions as shareholders. Companies that have been privatized tend to have low insider ownership.

MSD Acquisition is a smaller company with a market capitalization of US$705m, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it seems that institutions own shares in the company. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about MSD Acquisition.

View our latest analysis for MSD Acquisition

ownership-breakdown

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

MSD Acquisition already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see MSD Acquisition's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

earnings-and-revenue-growth

Hedge funds don't have many shares in MSD Acquisition. MSD Sponsor Holdings, LLC is currently the largest shareholder, with 20% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 4.2% and 3.5%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.

Looking at the shareholder registry, we can see that 52% of the ownership is controlled by the top 12 shareholders, meaning that no single shareholder has a majority interest in the ownership.

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While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. As far as we can tell there isn't analyst coverage of the company, so it is probably flying under the radar.

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of MSD Acquisition Corp. in their own names. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. It seems the board members have no more than US$1.5m worth of shares in the US$705m company. Many investors in smaller companies prefer to see the board more heavily invested. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

With a 30% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over MSD Acquisition. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

It seems that Private Companies own 20%, of the MSD Acquisition stock. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company.

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for MSD Acquisition (2 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

Of course this may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free free list of interesting companies.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Could The MSD Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:MSDA) Ownership Structure Tell Us Something Useful? - Yahoo Finance