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Upon arrival in Beijing, Olympic athletes are being greeted with hazmat suits and malware. They can bring burner phones to guard against the Chinese stealing from them, but the over-the-top, performance-art COVID-19 protocols are unavoidable. Theres an isolation center waiting for any defiance.

Is there someone phishing via my IG account? Are these COVID tests legit?

Its not the traditional Olympic Spirit. But it is the spirit of Beijing 2022.

Why are they doing this in a country with an absurd, so-called Zero COVID plan that defies science and logic because its about neither science nor logic?

I doubt that we will see fair play in the competitions in China, Michael Hoelz, the president of the German snowboarding federation, said last month. It is relatively easy with the [COVID-19] testing. Someone can later say, Were sorry, it was a false positive.

Give Hoelz credit for saying out loud what everyone else is discussing privately.

Is it fair to be presumptively suspicious of state-sponsored cheating? It is when dealing with the modern Olympics.

The last time the IOC succumbed to corruption and cowardice, and placed the Games in one of these totalitarian-type countries, the Russians built a structure in Sochi next to the doping lab and spent each night passing dirty samples out and clean samples in through a hole in the wall.

Two predictable things happened.

1. Russia won the most medals.

2. No Russian tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

When they were done, the Russians went on to cheat the Paralympics for good measure.

That, of course, got the IOC to ban Russia from future Olympics, but thats true only if you believe having hundreds of Russian athletes competing for the Russian Olympic Committee and not Russia is a distinction with a difference.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will be at Fridays Opening Ceremony in Beijing to cheer on his delegation and beam images of defiance against, and victory over, IOC sanctions back to Moscow. In 2014, he used the Sochi Olympics Games to rally national pride. Then he invaded Ukraine. He appears poised to do it again this time.

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Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), gives gifts to staff members of a restaurant as he visits a restaurant in Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games village, ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. (Wang Zhao - Pool/Getty Images)

These are the Olympics of Jacque Rogge and Thomas Bach, IOC presidents past and present. This is what theyve wrought, this is what they've bought, this is what theyve turned this into.

They allowed the Games to get so expensive, the bid process so rigged, the concept of the Olympics so toxic and distant from its once high-minded ideal that theyve done the near impossible: they created an Olympics that Olympians dont want to be at.

Oh, the athletes would like to compete, but only in a place that will treat them with respect and fairness, not sift through their emails or put them in an isolation center whether they are contagious or not.

What the hell is this, Beijing 2022, a Winter Games where smog but not snowflakes fill the sky virtually all the snow is man-made, the aquifers be damned and drained?

Its what happens when the Olympics become so pernicious that perfectly legitimate places such as Oslo, Norway, and St. Moritz, Switzerland, scrap their bids so they wont lose to bribes and kickbacks. That left only two cities willing to get into business with the IOC in 2022: Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, a fellow dictatorship that proudly billed itself as the worlds largest landlocked country.

So now you get this, COVID not as a burden for the Chinese but an opportunity to oppress foreigners and propagandize to its suffering people. Its a chance to reinforce that the government shall be obeyed at all costs so it can continue to protect. Locking figure skaters behind walls and fences makes locking down cities seem sensible. Have everyone succumb to ridiculous gestures such as spraying sanitizer on the streets and it all becomes a show.

Just like in Sochi, this has nothing to do with sports and everything to do with government power and favored contractor graft.

Bach, who clinked Champagne glasses with Putin back in 2014, will just serve as a smiling Western puppet of legitimacy since the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia and others engaged in a diplomatic boycott and wont participate in the photo op.

Its crystal clear that the Chinese government is going to use these Olympic Games to show its own population that it has won the international communitys respect and recognition, said William Nee of the Chinese Human Rights Defenders. But, of course, this is problematic because the Chinese government is carrying out crimes against humanity.

The IOC should never have awarded the Olympic Games, and the glory that goes with it, to a country whose human rights problems are getting progressively more severe every year.

In the far northwest of China there are accusations of slave labor and genocide. In the southeast, a national security invasion of Hong Kong. And then there is the jailing and torture of dissidents, critics and journalists everywhere else.

The athletes are uncertain whether speaking out about such things will help, hurt or just land them a positive COVID test on the eve of competition.

Bach and his cronies? They are fine with it. They are always fine with it. Theres a five-star hotel suite to sleep in. Blind eyes come cheap at the IOC.

For the athletes, its another story. They speak of the fear of the tests, the isolation of isolation or the uncertainty of being in a place where fake is real and real is fake.

They just want to ski or skate or slide, not serve as tools for oppression and violence. They just want to challenge themselves against the best of the world, not wind up as pawns that strengthen the grips of government.

They just want to enjoy the moment they worked their lives for, not have to guard against the host nation draining their bank account.

They just wanted the Olympics.

Instead the Olympics gave them this.

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Beijing 2022: Blind eyes come cheap at the IOC - Yahoo Sports

BEIJING It is my pleasure to report that the burgers cooked by Chinese robots are not very good. Because if robots start cooking better burgers than humans, were in a lot of trouble.

Every Olympics gives the host nation an opportunity to flex before the world in ways both impressive and subtle. At these Games, China is seeking to reduce human-to-human contact while also putting a happy face on automation. Hence, burger-flipping robots along with cleaning robots, mask-nagging robots, fry-cooking robots, and perhaps the greatest robots of all bartender robots.

Look around Beijing, and youll see robots almost everywhere. Some roll through the lobbies of hotels, spraying a mist of disinfectant in the air in a debatably effective means of combating the spread of COVID. Others scoot through the media center, admonishing visitors to make sure their masks are on straight.

These happy little R2-D2-style robots sport painted-on masks and cheery designs. Theyre the complete opposite of those Boston Dynamics robo-helldogs you see pushing down doors and leaping walls like the opening scenes of a robot-uprising movie. Theyre charming, inoffensive, and when they trundle around you, it definitely takes you a moment to remember theyre probably filming you and tracking your every move.

A robotic cocktail maker is pictured at the Main Media Centre on February 3, 2022 in Beijing, China. With just one day to the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Chinese authorities are making final preparations to try and ensure a successful Games amid the continuing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

The Beijing Olympics organizers decision to automate much of the cafeteria in the Games Main Media Center was a savvy one. Thousands of writers, photographers and broadcasters will pass through the cafeteria over the next two weeks, and the robots are the perfect centerpiece for a soft-focus Olympics story. (Like, you know, this one.)

Look overhead in the cafeteria, and youll see a complex system of tracks and cords, where covered dishes descend from the ceiling ready for diners to remove and eat. Look around, and youll see a large white mechanical arm deftly flipping baskets of hot fries, or a conveyor belt of burger assembly happening right before your eyes. The wait to be served by a robot can extend up to 40 minutes, even though much of the exact same food is available by walking up to another section of the cafeteria and asking one of the hazmat-clad workers. But who wants to get food from a boring ol human being when you can get it delivered by Ultrons cousin?

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Signs all over the cafeteria forbid photography or video, a gentle suggestion that everyone ignores with raised phones and cameras. Its a rarity in China: flagrant rulebreaking going unpunished.

For about 50 yuan just under $8 you can get a burger and fries, or a hot pot, or any of a half-dozen other dishes whipped up for you by robot. Theyre about the quality of a theme park meal not particularly tasty, but then youre not really coming for the culinary experience anyway.

A few steps away, and wisely closed until the evening, stands what will undoubtedly prove one of the most popular robots among journalists: the Robot Bartender. A flexible arm that summons an array of fruit juices and alcohol for your drink, the Robot Bartender wont offer you good conversation or life lessons. You cant tell Robot Bartender your troubles and expect a sympathetic ear.

But you will get a decent Screwdriver or Chichi rapidly and efficiently, and sometimes, thats enough. Another round, Robot Bartender, and pour a little oil for yourself.

Excerpt from:

Robot bartenders? Welcome to the 2022 Olympics - Yahoo Sports

There arent any clear betting trends that look poised to shift the Super Bowl line.

The Los Angeles Rams opened up as 3.5-point favorites over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. The line quickly moved a point in the Rams favor in two half-point shifts by Tuesday. But its stabilized at 4.5 points at BetMGM and bettors are currently fairly split on which team will cover.

The Rams are getting 46% of bets to cover the spread and those bets make up 53% of the handle the total money wagered on the line. The Bengals are getting slightly more bets, but those bets are worth slightly less than the bets on the Rams.

BetMGM director of trading Jeff Stoneback told Yahoo Sports earlier this week that about 60% of the bets in the first few days of Super Bowl betting were on the Bengals and said the money would be even more split if it wasnt for a six-figure bet on the Rams to cover. He also guessed that the line may not move off 4.5 before the game kicks off.

Bets on the total are split fairly evenly as well, though there is a decided money trend on the over/under. The over/under opened at 49.5 and is currently at 48.5 with 52% of bets on the over. Those over bets make up 62% of the handle.

The biggest odds shift so far this week has been on the moneyline. The Rams opened up at -165 to win the Super Bowl straight up and currently sit at -200 to win the Super Bowl in their home stadium. The Bengals have moved from +140 to +165 to win the Super Bowl and those odds are generating a lot of bets. Just over 75% of bets on the moneyline are on the Bengals to win outright and those bets make up 64% of the handle.

The Rams are set to play the Super Bowl at their home stadium against the Bengals. (Photo by Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images)

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Super Bowl LVI betting: Bettors are split on the Rams and the Bengals - Yahoo Sports

BEIJING After 80 hours in the false positive purgatory that hundreds of Olympians feared, Kim Meylemans thought her nightmare was finally over. The Belgian skeleton athlete had spent three days in isolation here in Beijing, testing negative again and again to prove that an initial positive had been a mistake. On Wednesday, authorities said she could leave. An emergency vehicle picked her up. She assumed it would take her back to the Olympic Village.

We did not turn to the Village, she said, visibly shaken.

Instead, as Meylemans detailed through tears in a video posted to Instagram Wednesday night, she was taken to another isolation facility. The thought of staying there another seven days tore her apart. Im not even sure I will ever be allowed to return to the Village, she said in between sniffles and emotional pauses. She wasnt sure she could take it much longer.

Late that night, as her video spread, Olympic officials apparently intervened. A knock on Meylemans door granted relief. Shortly before midnight, she was escorted to the village. Once settled, she said she felt safe.

Her ordeal, though, highlighted the mental and emotional cost of Chinas zero-COVID strategy, and of the Olympic protocols it has influenced.

Those protocols require athletes to pass a spate of PCR tests before and after arrival in Beijing, even if theyve recently recovered from COVID and even though PCR tests can come back positive long after an individual has cleared the contagious phase of their infection.

Experts warned that the overly strict rules could disqualify some people for no good reason, or heap unnecessary stress onto others. Meylemans became the test case that they envisioned. Shed contracted COVID a month ago, and recovered. Shed missed skeleton World Cup races, but returned to sliding. She said shed been tested pretty much every day since, and pretty much every internationally respected doctor would say that she is no longer capable of spreading the virus.

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A health worker collects a swab sample on a journalist to test for COVID-19 at the parking lot of a hotel in Beijing on February 2, 2022, ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. (SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images)

Then she arrived in Beijing. Of three COVID tests, she said, one came back negative, another a close call, and another positive.

The positive, of course, was a product of virus leftovers from her infection a month earlier. After 10 days, if your PCR [test] is positive, that is just detecting dead soldiers remnants of the virus that have persisted in your system, Vanderbilt infectious disease specialist Bill Schaffner explained to Yahoo Sports in December. It does not mean that you are infectious.

Which is why PCR testing after the 10-day mark is not only unnecessary, Schaffner said. It's actively discouraged. Just because it leads to confusion.

But, per Chinese-driven protocols, it took Meylemans out of the Olympic Village, away from training. She was forced to move into an isolation hotel. While her competitors got a feel for the Olympic track in Yanqing, a Beijing suburb, Meylemans was stuck furiously riding an exercise bike, and pushing against her hotel room wall.

Her experience was eerily similar to one described by U.S. luger Summer Britcher a few months ago. Upon arrival in China for a pre-Olympic competition in November, Britcher said she was pulled off a bus, not really told anything, taken to a separate building, and told she had COVID. Her test at the airport had come back positive. Follow-up tests proved that it was a false positive it was, I think, remnants of when I previously had COVID in August, Britcher said. Nonetheless, even after several negatives, I was kept in isolation, missed a few training sessions, kept separate from my team entirely, she said. Not able to go to the gym, anything.

I'm a little worried about what will happen when we go back, Britcher said.

Behind the scenes, Olympic officials pushed to quell concerns, and push for looser protocols. In some cases, they succeeded for example, in raising the threshold for what would be considered a positive test.

But still, there were unscientific rules, such as the one that treats Meylemans as a close contact, despite not having close contact with anybody who has tested positive for the virus, and despite almost certainly not being capable of shedding meaningful amounts of the virus herself.

And so, as a close contact, shell continue to live alone, eat alone, travel alone, deprived of anything resembling the Olympic experience.

Even though, as Meylemans said earlier on Instagram, Ive more than proven Im perfectly healthy and no danger to anyones health.

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Belgian Olympian Kim Meylemans in tears over confusing COVID isolation in Beijing - Yahoo Sports

Weston McKennie scored the first of three USMNT goals in a shutout of Honduras on a frigid night at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

The United States Mens National Team hammered Honduras on Wednesday, 3-0, to move to the brink of qualifying for the World Cup held later this year.

The result is of little surprise because Honduras is terrible, ranked 76th in the world and winless in its past 14 matches.

It should have been a fun night for the Americans, who could have packed a big stadium somewhere, run up the score and gained valuable time together in conditions that might remotely be akin to November's World Cup in Qatar.

Instead US Soccer staged the game on a slick, frozen pitch in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was 2 degrees out. The stadium sat just 19,400.

It was an example of a small-time mindset within US Soccer, which too often plays with fear rather than confidence, which looks to protective gimmicks rather than bold attacks.

Its the kind of strategy that while successful is cringeworthy and hard to defend for even the most passionate of fans.

Really, the Americans needed to freeze out the Hondurans to win? Shouldnt this have been light work no matter where the game was played?

Historically, the American track record of success is poor. There is no debating that. In the past four World Cups, Team USA won a grand total of two games and never made it past the Round of 16. It didnt even qualify last time.

Still, this is a young and promising team. Lots of talent. Lots of potential. Let the Americans play with some flair and some fun. Let them use the time against weaker opponents to create something special.

Let the Americans play like a program that has eyes on greatness, on making noise, on standing toe-to-toe with the best of the world, not slipping into qualifying by freezing out lousy opponents in a choppy, sloppy game.

Christian Pulisic and Walker Zimmerman each scored for the Americans as they moved one step closer to qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)

Its not normal, Honduras manager Herman Gomez said before the game. Its inconceivable that a power in every sense would bring you here to play a game and get a result.

The game hasnt started, but I cant wait for it to end, Gomez continued. Because its not for enjoying, its for suffering.

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Look, making an opponent suffer and possibly mentally check out before the game is never a bad thing. But is it a necessary thing? Is there any pride at US Soccer?

Shouldnt someone be a little ashamed that it thought it had to resort to this to win?

The conditions were bad for both sides. The Americans may have been more used to the cold than the Hondurans, but that was relative. The field didnt lend itself to quality play. This was a slog. Everyone looked miserable and trying to avoid injury.

The US scored all three goals on set pieces, which is nice, but also indicative that this wasnt the environment for run-of-play tallies. This was hardly soccer. At one point US coach Gregg Berhalter was taking pictures with fans.

USA fans cheer during the World Cup qualifier Concacaf football match between USA and Honduras at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, Minnesota on February 2, 2022. - The United States reignited their World Cup qualifying campaign on Wednesday with a 3-0 victory over Honduras. (Photo by Kerem Yucel / AFP) (Photo by KEREM YUCEL/AFP via Getty Images)

Nothing was gained other than a victory that could have should have been earned in Southern California or Florida or at least in front of a big crowd.

Berhalter is said to want to limit travel. Since the Americans played Sunday against Canada in Hamilton, Ontario, this was deemed ideal.

But thats ridiculous. It takes about 2:45 to fly from Toronto to Minneapolis and about 3 hours to get to Orlando.

This is the US though. It wants bad conditions. It wants tiny stadiums so it can keep visiting fans out. It wants to play as far as possible from where immigrants of opposing teams reside, hence a disproportionate amount of games in the Midwest and few if any on the East Coast.

Everything is about protecting and pampering, like the American players cant take on even Honduras in 70-degree air or with a few opposing fans present and chanting for their side.

Better to just play an ugly, mucked-up game before a small crowd in the freeze of Minnesota.

Hey, it was a win. The US is one step closer to qualifying for Qatar. It just felt a little weak.

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Congrats to the USMNT, but shame on US Soccer - Yahoo Sports

The wide-ranging class-action lawsuit brought against the NFL and a handful of teams by former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores may be about to add another plaintiff.

Two sources close to former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson said Wednesday that Jackson has made arrangements to speak with Flores attorneys about the suit as early as Wednesday. The sources also said Jackson has expressed a willingness to provide testimony and materials to Flores' lawsuit, alleging that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam financially incentivized tanking for better draft position through the use of a bonus structure during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, when Cleveland went 1-31.

Some of the materials in Jacksons possession stem from a confidential fraud grievance he brought against the Browns following his in-season firing in 2018. That grievance was handled by an arbitrator under the terms of the NFLs collective bargaining agreement. That arbitrator ultimately ruled against Jackson, although the judgment was not considered a definitive determination of fact.

The recent comments by Hue Jackson and his representatives relating to his tenure as our head coach are completely fabricated, a Browns spokesperson said. Any accusation that any member of our organization was incentivized to deliberately lose games is categorically false.

Jackson declined to comment Wednesday. On Tuesday, the NFL released a statement refuting the claims in Flores lawsuit and said the litigation was without merit.

Sources tell Yahoo Sports that former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson has expressed a willingness to provide both testimony and materials to Brian Flores' class action lawsuit, alleging that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam financially incentivized "tanking" for draft position during two seasons over which the team went 1-31. (Photo by: 2017 Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images)

Since the filing of Flores lawsuit, Jackson and the head of his charitable foundation, Kimberly Diemert, have posted tweets suggesting Jacksons intent to engage with the Flores litigation. Jackson, who is now the head football coach at Grambling State University, suggested that he encountered some of the same things Flores alleged in his lawsuit against the Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Denver Broncos and the overarching NFL corporation.

Jackson told ESPN on Wednesday via text message, "it's time to take a stand. What I want is what Brian [Flores] wants which is for this BS to change for black coaches. I lived this same crap."

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Prior to this suit, Jackson spoke critically about Black head coaches having their success undermined by team owners that allegedly set a double standard for minority coaches when it comes to the building and success of franchises as well as the second chance opportunities granted to white head coaches versus minorities. Jackson also repeatedly has made claims that during his time in Cleveland, Haslam blindsided him with the size of the rebuild that was going to be undertaken, as well as some of the methods that would be employed during the rebuild.

On Tuesday, he added a wrinkle to those claims, suggesting that Haslam tied finances to what Diemert said was tanking. Responding to a tweet that said Haslam wasnt offering 100k per loss, Jackson said Trust me it was a good number!

Diemert then followed up with a series of tweets stating that Jackson has records to back up his claims, and that several team leaders (including Jackson) were a part of a bonus structure to tank, including former general manager Sashi Brown, chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta and current general manager Andrew Berry. Diemert added that the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell knew about it and covered it up, which is likely a reference to evidence provided during Jacksons failed grievance against the Browns.

Attorneys for Flores said Wednesday that other coaches have not become a part of the class-action lawsuit brought against teams and the league, but that it is expected more will join the litigation.

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Sources: Hue Jackson may join Brian Flores lawsuit, claims to have proof that Browns incentivized tanking - Yahoo Sports

Technically, Super Bowl LVI will feature the worst matchup in history.

Now thats not to say that the game is going to be bad. Based on how Sundays conference championships and the rest of the postseason went, the game is bound to be plenty entertaining.

The game, however, will be the lowest-seeded Super Bowl matchup in history.

The Cincinnati Bengals, who entered the postseason as a No. 4 seed, knocked off the Kansas City Chiefs in a wild overtime battle in the AFC Championship game on Sunday to reach their third Super Bowl in franchise history.

The Los Angeles Rams, who also entered the postseason as a No. 4 seed, then beat the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship to reach the Super Bowl.

So the Super Bowl will feature two No. 4 seeds, which makes it the lowest-seeded Super Bowl matchup since playoff seeding began for Super Bowl X. Previously, if a team with a No. 4 seed or higher reached the Super Bowl, they played either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed from the other conference. Thats happened 14 times. There has never been a Super Bowl without a No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 seed.

Super Bowl XLV between the Packers and the Steelers in 2011 had a combined seed total of eight, though the Steelers were the No. 2 seed in that postseason.

This Super Bowl will also feature the most combined losses in the games history. The Bengals have lost seven times, and the Rams have lost five times, bringing the combined total to 12. Though there was an extra game in the regular season for the first time in league history, only two games have featured a combined loss total of 11 the Rams-Steelers game at Super Bowl XIV in 1980 and the Cardinals-Steelers game at Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.

The Bengals and Rams will square off at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13, and the Rams are listed as an early -3.5 point favorite on BetMGM.

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Super Bowl LVI will have the lowest-seeded Super Bowl matchup in history - Yahoo Sports

The Biden administration has gotten used to bad news: Worsening COVID, out-of-nowhere inflation, failed legislation. In the days ahead of the latest employment report, White House officials even pre-acknowledged the likelihood of a big labor-market setback in January, as the Omicron COVID variant peaked and businesses pulled back.

That caution may have been prudent, but it turned out to be unnecessary. Employers added a robust 467,000 jobs in January, defying all expectations of a pullback in hiring. The news was uniformly solid. Wage growth accelerated and more people started looking for work. Revisions for 2021 also showed stronger job growth than reported at the time. At some point this year, total employment is likely to finally exceed pre-pandemic levels.

The monthly jobs report normally reflects incremental changes in the economy that everybodys already aware of. Surprises are uncommon. The January numbers are different. In a healthy economy, 200,000 new jobs per month is typical growth. Employers more than doubled that pace of job growth in January, despite obvious disruptions caused by a new surge in COVID infections, hospitalizations and deaths. For the first time in the COVID pandemic, the economy is shrugging off COVID.

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 04: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks on the January jobs reports during an event in the State Dining Room of the White House February 4, 2022 in Washington, DC. The U.S. economy gained an additional 467,000 new jobs in January despite contending with a severe COVID surge. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The 467,000 gain in payrolls in January is even stronger than it looks, as it came despite the spike in absenteeism driven by the Omicron virus wave, Capital Economics explained in a Feb. 4 research note. The gain appears to make a mockery of our fears that Omicron would weigh heavily on payrolls.

President Biden bragged about the greatest year of job creation under any president in history. But economists, for once, share his ebullience. Heres a sampling of commentary from some typically sober-minded analysts:

Comerica: Stunning jobs report.

Bank of America: Clean bill of health.

FWDBonds: The best economy in 50 years is back.

Harvard economist Jason Furman: January 2022 will be remembered as the month the virus ceased to the be boss. The economy no longer cares.

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Biden needs a break, needless to say. Never-ending COVID and 7% inflation have pushed his approval rating to the low 40s, the worst of his presidency. That wont snap back because of one economic report. But the narrative on the economy is improving, and the timing actually looks pretty good for Biden.

Omicron now seems to be fading and warmer spring weather should bring further relief from the virus. Americans are itching to get out and start spending on travel, entertainment and other parts of the service economy. That could ease some of the intense demand for goods thats driving inflation. Its reasonable to think that by summer, things will start to feel normal again and wavering confidence will improve, which would be just in time for Democrats who now seem poised to lose control of one or both houses of Congress in the November midterm elections.

[Get Rick Newmans stories by email or follow him on Twitter.]

Biden also seems to be handling the tense standoff between Russia and Ukraine about as well as anybody could hope. Russian President Vladimir Putin is undoubtedly looking for a way to outfox or embarrass the United States and its NATO allies, but so far, it hasnt worked. Bidens decision to beef up the U.S. troop presence in eastern Europe shows U.S. resolve in response to Russian threats of a Ukraine invasion. Washington, for once, is also countering the sort of disinformation campaign that is usually a Russian advantage. Putin could still invade, but Bidens handling of the U.S. response looks considerably more competent than the messy withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan last summer.

The biggest factor for financial markets is now the Federal Reserves monetary tightening. Had the economy lost jobs in January, as many economists expected, it would have indicated weakness and a possible delay in interest-rate hikes, which the Fed is likely to start in March. With the job market hot, however, the Fed remains likely to hike several times this year. That may not be great for stocks, since higher borrowing costs tend to lower corporate profits. But the economy seems ready for interest-rate normalization after nearly two years of extraordinary monetary stimulus.

Theres always plenty that could go wrong, as Biden learned in his first year in office, when the U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed overnight and inflation began devouring family budgets. Another COVID variant could upend everything. Inflation could get worse instead of better. Russia could wreak more havoc than NATO can manage. But sometimes the surprises are welcome instead of ugly.

Rick Newman is a columnist and author of four books, including "Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman. You can also send confidential tips.

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This week in Bidenomics: A rebound begins - Yahoo Finance

Meteorologist Rebecca Schuld melted the hearts of viewers in Milwaukee when her newborn daughter made an appearance. (Credit: Facebook)

Talk about double duty!

Last week, meteorologist Rebecca Schuld gave viewers in Milwaukee an adorable surprise when her 13-week-old baby Fiona made a special appearance during the weather forecast.

Shes prepared. Shes got one of her good thick blankies here for that cold weather thats coming up tonight, Schuld said during the forecast, which was streamed live from her home basement due to COVID protocols.

I thought she could help me with tonights first weather thats going to be plenty unpleasant, right?

As Schuld explains to Yahoo Life, the appearance wasnt exactly planned.

I was just minutes away from having my next weather broadcast, and my baby had just woken up, says Schuld, who had just returned to work from being on maternity leave. I go over to my greenwall. Im holding her and our producer is like, Oh, your baby, is she gonna make an appearance?' I was very confident she was going to behave because she just took a long nap so I knew she'd be happy. I said, 'sure!'

Video: Meteorologist Erin Moran brings baby to evening weather update

While the moment was certainly spontaneous, the meteorologist admits she felt slightly guilty about breaking the fourth wall with viewers.

"We're supposed to put on this certain face," she says of being a public person. "For a split second, I felt guilty about it and I don't know why. When I sat and thought about it, it's like, why am I guilty? This is real life. This is what everyone else is also doing. They work, their kids are sick, or their kids are crying in the background. It's always a challenge when you have kids in the mix, but that's what so many of us are doing everyday. So why are we hiding them?"

That guilt, Schuld explains, is something a lot of working parents place on themselves and something she hopes her experience can help alleviate.

"It was this weird moment where I'm like, wait, why am I guilty? No, this is awesome," she says. "I am still getting my work done. And, yes, do I have to put a pause on it if there's something going on with the baby? Sure. But that's life, right?"

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Thousands of viewers agreed, with many applauding Schuld's honesty.

This is an absolute privilege, Schuld says of being able to work at home alongside her newborn. If you have kids, you know how hard it is to be away from them. So to get done with maternity leave, and because of COVID, them wanting to keep some of us home, it gave me an opportunity to ease back into work life.

While Schuld admits its hard to have a set schedule with an infant, she says it's a blessing to be a working mom who can excel at her job while working at home. She hopes more women and industry leaders will embrace that, as well.

Im able to multitask and still care for her and be there in her life, she says. Some countries have maternity leave for a couple of years, so you're really able to bond with the baby and help raise them instead of, you know, putting them into daycare and then missing milestones. She giggles now in the last couple of weeks. She is cooing and all these things that now I had been able to see because I'm here with her. That's the best part.

Why not work from home if we can utilize technology? she continues. Why do we have to be in the office? We've got everything here at home. We're doing the same work. And we're able to have a more enriched family life so to me its the best of both worlds.

In addition to advocating for broader discussions about parental leave and working from home, Schuld is passionate about encouraging women to enter the science and technology fields, and hopes her story can inspire them to pursue those dreams.

When I got into this business, this was a man's world. It really was, the 20-year news veteran explains. But now, especially in the last five years, I feel like it's getting more OK." She encourages others to find their courage, too. "Do it, because it's great! And why not? We can be anything we want to do. Anything we want to be, anything we want to do, we can do it," she says.

"Twenty years ago, I had no idea I would be a TV meteorologist. But it has been the greatest achievement of my life," she adds. "And every day, I'm still super stoked to get up and do what I love to do."

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Meteorologist wins the hearts of viewers after bringing her baby on-air for forecast: 'I was very confident she was going to behave' - Yahoo Life

LAS VEGAS The difference between winning and losing at the highest level of professional sport is minute. Sometimes, its just a minor mistake that leads to a defeat. Other times, its bad luck.

But Jack Hermansson understands this, which is why he isnt frustrated by his position heading into the main event of UFC Vegas 47 against seventh-ranked middleweight Sean Strickland on Saturday at Apex.

Hermansson, ranked sixth, is 2-2 in his last four bouts, and to some, the bloom seems to have fallen off the rose. He won six out of seven at one point in his tenure, defeating solid opposition like Thales Leites, Gerald Meerschaert, David Branch and Ronaldo Jacare Souza.

He looked like a title challenger for certain and perhaps even a champion. Now, hes 2-2 in his last four, with losses to Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori and wins over Kelvin Gastelum and Edmen Shahbazyan, and few are talking about him as a potential champion.

Hermansson, though, is not among them. He recognizes that in MMA at the top level, things can change quickly.

Every time out, you are fighting the absolute best fighters in the world, and the difference between everyone is not very much, he told Yahoo Sports.You just have to understand and accept that. But I like where I am at this time. If I have a good win in this fight, well, Im not that far away again. You cant dwell on any loss too much, just like its not a great idea to think youre the man as a result of any win. I know I am putting in the work and Im getting better all the time, and thats what is really important.

Jack Hermansson is 2-2 in his last four UFC bouts. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

The bout is an intriguing match of personalities, styles and varying approaches. Strickland is outrageous, aggressive and outspoken. Hermansson is thoughtful, detailed and careful.

Hermansson said hes impressed by Strickland, particularly since he has moved to middleweight and has gone unbeaten. Hes coming off a one-sided victory over Uriah Hall.

Strickland made a name for himself recently when he said he frequently fantasized about killing someone in the ring. He spoke to Yahoo Sports about having a loaded gun on his nightstand when he sleeps and hoping someone breaks into his home so he could use it.

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Hermansson sighs at such talk. Hes from Norway, where MMA has yet to be legalized. Stricklands comments dont help the push to legalize the sport in his native country, but beyond that, Hermansson doesnt take it too seriously. He doesnt feel like hes going to be Stricklands victim.

Hes a great fighter with a lot of skill and he can talk really well, too, and get attention, Hermansson said. Those comments obviously got a lot of people talking, because its so out of the ordinary. You dont hear fighters talking that way pretty much ever. But its gotten him attention and put a spotlight on him. Good for him, I guess, but its not great for the sport because people take that seriously and it doesnt help, for instance, in getting MMA legalized in my country.

No one has died in the Octagon or as a result of fight-related injuries in the 28-year-plus history of the UFC. There have been a handful of deaths in MMA over the years, but its a very small percentage compared to boxing, and thats largely because there are other means of attack other than punching someone repeatedly in the head.

For Hermansson, its a non-issue other than the impact it has on legalization efforts and on MMAs ability to become more mainstream.

He believes with an impressive win over Strickland, who is a -220 favorite at BetMGM, hell be quickly in the title mix. Thats particularly true if Derek Blonde Brunson defeats Cannonier next week at UFC 271 in Houston.

Brunson has already fought champion Israel Adesanya and was knocked out. Hermansson believes if he and Brunson win, hell leapfrog Brunson and be closer to a title shot.

Hermansson tries not to think ahead too much, though, because he knows what Strickland is capable of doing. One mistake at the wrong time and it could be over.

The fighters are so evenly matched that one lapse in concentration, one minor mistake, could make all the difference.

I want to fight my fight, execute the plan and get it over with as soon as I can, said Hermansson, who is +180 on Friday at BetMGM. I want to keep my focus on what I have to do and hopefully, it pays off with a great performance.

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UFC Vegas 47: Jack Hermansson looking to get back in the title mix - Yahoo Sports