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HONG KONG — President Donald Trump has a new nickname in China: “The Lord of Eternal Tariffs.”

Jokes and memes about the tariffs Trump has imposed on Beijing and other U.S. trading partners have been proliferating online in China, embraced by state media seeking to rally the public as well as ordinary internet users bemused by Trump’s policy decisions.

“The Lord of Eternal Tariffs,” which can also be translated as “10,000 Tariff Grandpa,” appeared last week in a report by CCTV, China’s state-run broadcaster, which said Americans were “rising up in arms” against the tariffs amid fears they could harm the U.S. economy.

As the world’s two largest economies appear at an impasse over tariff levels that amount to a mutual embargo — a 145% U.S. levy on Chinese goods, and a 125% Chinese levy on goods from the U.S. —Beijing has been allowing such rhetoric to promote the perception that it has the upper hand over Trump.

China has taken a hard line on the trade dispute, with its Commerce Ministry saying Thursday that the U.S. should revoke all unilateral tariffs against China if it “truly wants to solve the problem.”

Even as the potential impact on their populations begins to sink in, the two countries are far from reaching the kind of trade deal Trump says the tariffs are designed to extract. They can’t even agree on whether talks have started.

Trump said Thursday that U.S. and Chinese officials had met that morning, without specifying who the officials were.

Asked about Trump’s remarks on Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry again disputed that any talks were taking place.

“There have been no consultations or negotiations between China and the U.S. on tariff issues,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun said. “The U.S. should not mislead the public.”

Commenters on China’s heavily censored social media have been quick to seize on any suggestion that Trump might blink. Earlier this week, after Trump said the U.S. was “going to be very nice” to China and that final tariffs would “not be anywhere near” 145%, one of the top trending hashtags on the Chinese social media platform Weibo was #TrumpWimpsOut.

Chinese social media users have also satirized what they see as Trump’s strongman aspirations. On RedNote, a Chinese platform similar to Instagram, AI-generated images show Trump dressed like a Chinese emperor.

Others have made fun of the idea of the United States reverting to a nation focused mainly on manufacturing, with one AI-generated video depicting Trump, Elon Musk, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio working on a production line in blue jumpsuits.

Content creators on platforms not accessible in China have also joined in the online mockery. A parody account on YouTube produced a video called “The Song of MAGA,” in which Trump, Musk, Vance and Rubio march together in front of a banner that says “Serve the people,” a political slogan often used by the Chinese government.

“The Lord of Eternal Tariffs” joins other Chinese nicknames for Trump that have been around since his first term, such as “King Know-It-All.” One popular transliteration of Trump’s name is “Trump Builds the Nation” — the nation being China, which some say could become more influential in the world as the Trump administration withdraws from it.

Joking aside, there are indications that both China and the U.S. are looking for ways to minimize the impact of the tariffs on their economies and people. Last week, for example, the Trump administration said that smartphones and other consumer electronics, which are among the biggest Chinese exports to the U.S., would receive tariff exemptions.

Asked Friday about reports that China was considering exempting some U.S. imports from the 125% tariff, Guo, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said he was “not aware” of the situation.

But Beijing is openly pushing a campaign to help companies whose exports could be blocked sell them to the domestic market instead.

Six Chinese online retailers, including JD.com and PDD, now have designated sections to help exporters sell their goods to Chinese consumers, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.

Walmart’s China unit has rolled out a similar channel in response to Beijing’s call for the “integrated development of domestic and foreign trade,” it said Thursday.

At Joy City mall in Beijing, there are new signs that say “Exports turned domestic” and “Support Chinese-made products.” The section sells a wide range of products, including clothes, shoes, suitcases, canned food and even fine porcelain.

Experts say the campaign may not gain much traction given that the Chinese government has struggled for years to boost domestic consumption.

It’s “naive” for Chinese exporters to make up for their losses by selling in other markets since there are many products that only Americans will buy, such as Christmas decorations, said Andy Xie, an independent economist in Shanghai.

“People need to accept the reality that a lot of businesses will eventually all shut down,” he said.

Peter Guo reported from Hong Kong, and Dawn Liu from Beijing.

A member of the K-pop boy band Just B publicly came out as gay during a concert this week in Los Angeles. It’s a rare move in a high-pressure Korean music industry, in which artists tend to be fiercely guarded about their private lives.

Just B-member Bain, 23, made the announcement while performing a solo at the band’s LA show Tuesday, saying “I’m proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community — as a gay person.” Videos shared on social media showed the crowd responding with loud cheers.

“To anyone out there who’s part of the LGBTQ+ community, or still figuring it out — this is for you. You are seen, you are loved, and you were born this way,” he added, in a reference to the song by Lady Gaga whom he called “my queen.”

He then launching into a performance of the song while waving a rainbow pride flag.

Publicly identifying as gay is rare among active K-pop stars, whose behavior is tightly controlled by music labels and policed by fans who expect them to have wholesome images. According to the Korean media outlet News1, Bain is the first male K-pop star to come out publicly.

After Tuesday’s performance, Bain’s bandmate Siwoo left a message of support on a fan platform, South Korean media reported.

“I was watching from backstage and I cried too,” he said. “I cried even more because I knew how hard it was for him.”

Fans have also shown their support, with one of the most popular comments on Bain’s Instagram post saying, “I’m so proud of you, kiddo. Always love yourself because WE LOVE YOU!!!!”

Just B, a six-member group, has released five EPs and several singles since debuting in 2021.

Before Bain, Jiae from the now-defunct girl group Wassup said in 2020 that she was bisexual, while Lara, an Indian-American member of the U.S.-based girl-group Katseye, came out as queer last month on a fan platform.

Homosexuality is a sensitive subject in socially conservative South Korea, where same-sex marriage is not legally recognized. Discrimination against LGBT people “remains pervasive,” Human Rights Watch said in a 2023 report.

In today’s newsletter: Companies warn that stores could see empty shelves unless Trump changes his tune on tariffs. Fears that potential Medicaid cuts could impact life-saving treatments. And a polarizing NFL prospect remains on the board for the draft.

Here’s what to know today.

Product shortages loom with falling shipments from China

President Donald Trump’s tariffs first sent stocks on a chaotic ride of steep losses and rallies. Now, retailers are warning that his trade policy is poised to cause pandemic-era product shortages that could see empty shelves at major retailers.

Experts say lower-cost footwear, apparel and toys could be the first items to go missing from store shelves in the coming months. Companies have been canceling their shipments of goods from China and halting new orders after Trump put a 145% tariff on nearly all Chinese imports this month, meaning Americans could find far fewer options during back-to-school and holiday shopping than they are used to.

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 “If the administration waits to resolve the problem until we have shortages and hoarding, that is just too late,” Sean Stein, president of the U.S.-China Business Council, said. 

Trump said this week that the U.S. and China were in talks to negotiate, but a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson refuted the claim, saying that both countries haven’t “engaged in any consultations … let alone reached an agreement.”

For companies that can’t shell out to pay the tariffs, their goods will likely sit at U.S. ports until they can be auctioned off.

Read the full story.

Parents of kids with cancer fear budget cuts could slash Medicaid

After Paula McLaurin learned her seven-year-old son had leukemia, what followed was weeks of chemotherapy and other treatment. She was forced to quit her job as a fifth-grade teacher to care for him. On the single salary of her husband, the family struggled to pay their bills, and without private insurance from teaching, the McLaurins turned to Medicaid for coverage.

Medicaid insures nearly half of all children and 1 out of 3 kids diagnosed with cancer, according to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network.

Trump maintains Medicaid won’t be touched, but he and Republican lawmakers have directed the House to make drastic cuts in the federal budget, and the Congressional Budget Office has said House Republicans can’t meet their budget target without making significant cuts to Medicaid or Medicare. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said the cuts will be made by eliminating fraud, waste and abusive spending, but experts said that’s not realistic. 

“There is a misalignment between the proposed cuts the Republicans are trying to make [and] the actual scope of fraud and waste,” said Megan Cole Brahim, an associate professor at the Boston University School of Public Health and co-director of the school’s Medicaid Policy Lab.

McClaurin said she is “terrified” at the prospect of losing Medicaid. Like other families with sick children, the uncertainty around what funds will cover potentially life-saving treatment has only caused more stress.

Read the full story here.

The biggest takeaways from the first night of the NFL draft

The 2025 NFL draft kicked off with a few surprising picks and trades, but a handful of great names are still on the board. Sports reporter Rohan Nadkarni has all the takeaways from night one:

The Tennessee Titans selected Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall pick to kick off Thursday’s NFL draft. While Ward was long expected to go first overall, the excitement of the night really began at No. 2. The Cleveland Browns held the second overall pick but traded the selection to the Jaguars.

Jacksonville Jaguars then took Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who played both wide receiver and cornerback at Colorado. It was a bold move by the Jaguars, who in addition to drafting Hunter are trying to resuscitate the franchise after they hired a new coach and a new general manager this offseason.

One player notably not selected was Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was a possibility for the Steelers at No. 21. Pittsburgh was a popular destination for Sanders in mock drafts, but it ultimately took Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. Sanders now slides to the second round, which will take place along with the third round today.

Read the full recap here.

Read All About It

• Shannon Sharpe announced he will “step aside temporarily” from his position at ESPN while he faces a $50 million lawsuit accusing him of rape. 
• Trump signed an order to investigate ActBlue, a leading Democratic fundraising platform, claiming the site is used to “improperly influence American elections.”
• A judge ruled prosecutors can pursue the death penalty against Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of fatally stabbing four Idaho college students in 2022.
• The USDA will withdraw a Biden-era proposal that would have created new safety standards to reduce Salmonella in raw poultry products.

Staff Pick: Meet the 1940s secretary who used office time to produce the first lesbian magazine

Edythe Eyde was a 25-year-old secretary at RKO Radio Pictures in Los Angeles when she created America’s first lesbian magazine, Vice Versa, on her office typewriter in 1947. She described it as “a magazine dedicated, in all seriousness, to those of us who will never quite be able to adapt ourselves to the iron-bound rules of Convention.”

The publication, which Eyde wrote mostly herself, featured original poems, short stories and reviews of books, films and plays; any dramatic work with the slightest undertone of attraction between women was fair game. She distributed the photocopied magazine to friends, asking that they be passed along. She also sent copies by mail, until a friend warned of illegality; the Comstock Act forbade sending “obscene, lewd or lascivious” materials, without describing further.

“It was revolutionary,” acclaimed historian Lillian Faderman said of Vice Versa. “I don’t think she realized how revolutionary it was. I don’t think she realized how brave and meaningful it was.”T

The publication was short-lived, with only nine monthly issues from June 1947 to February 1948, but it provided an important window into lesbian life in the ‘40s that has become invaluable to students of LGBTQ history.

Read more about Vice Versa and Edith Eyde, which was published to coincide with Lesbian Visibility Week.

— Brooke Sopelsa, OUT editorial director

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CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is expected to endorse his lieutenant governor, Juliana Stratton, for the Senate on Friday, just two days after longtime Sen. Dick Durbin said he would not seek a sixth term. 

Pritzker plans to make the announcement — news of which was shared in advance with NBC News — at an event in the city’s Southside neighborhood of Bronzeville, where Stratton grew up. 

The backing — which is sure to include financial resources from Pritzker, a billionaire — instantly lifts Stratton’s profile in a race that is expected to draw a crowded field given that Durbin has held the seat for nearly 30 years. The group could include at least two Democratic members of Congress. 

Pritzker, a potential 2028 presidential hopeful, has historically not been shy about tapping his vast wealth to support his own campaigns, as well as Democratic efforts across the country. He is armed with a robust political operation in the state, as well as the political muscle to spur Stratton’s chances. 

“Over the past six years, I’ve had the privilege of working with Juliana Stratton, one of Illinois’ fiercest fighters for working families. She is a tested and steady leader who leads from a place of integrity, pragmatism, and dedication,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Juliana’s lived experience has made her a passionate and compassionate advocate able to get big things done. I’m proud to call her not just a partner in governance, but a true friend.” 

Pritzker and Stratton came into office in 2018 after a bruising election against another free-spending candidate, then-Gov. Bruce Rauner. 

The two have ushered in popular changes in the state, including protecting reproductive rights, raising the minimum wage and eliminating the state’s tax on groceries. 

Stratton on Thursday became the first person to launch her Senate campaign, just one day after Durbin, 80, announced he would not seek re-election next year. He said it was time for the next generation to lead the party.

“The president has said repeatedly, we’re not going to hurt Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid recipients who are eligible for it. And that is our guiding north, our true north,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Punchbowl News last month.  

In his rural Louisiana district, nearly 25% of adults under age 65 rely on Medicaid, according to an NBC News analysis.

“I understand this acutely — it directly affects my people. We’re going to be very careful not to cut a benefit for anyone who is eligible to receive it and relies upon it,” Johnson told Punchbowl.

But last month, the Congressional Budget Office, which is nonpartisan, said House Republicans can’t meet their budget target without making significant cuts to Medicaid or Medicare, the nation’s health insurance program for seniors.

In the House, the Medicaid budget falls under the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Republican budget plan instructs that committee to cut spending.

In February, Johnson said that “we’re going to cut the fraud, waste and abuse and that’s where we’re going to get the savings to accomplish this mission.”

It would be very difficult to make the proposed Republican cuts just by targeting fraud, waste and abuse, said Megan Cole Brahim, an associate professor at the Boston University School of Public Health and co-director of the school’s Medicaid Policy Lab.

“This on the surface seems like a reasonable idea — nobody likes fraud, waste or abuse,” she said. “But there is a misalignment between the proposed cuts the Republicans are trying to make [and] the actual scope of fraud and waste.”  

Johnson identified another way he intends to save Medicaid dollars.

“You’ve got a lot of able-bodied workers, young men who could be out working, who are choosing not to because they’re on the government wagon,” he told Punchbowl. “I think that’s wrong, and I think if you get those people out of the program — and there’s a large number of them — then you preserve it for the people who actually need it and deserve it.”

Cole Brahim called this a “false narrative,” pointing to a KFF study that shows in 2023, nearly two-thirds of adults ages 19-64 covered by Medicaid were working and nearly 3 in 10 were not working because of caregiving responsibilities, illness or disability, or school attendance.

In the McLaurins’ case, Ronnie McLaurin doesn’t have health insurance through his work as a self-employed electrician. 

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Diana and Rick Bellamy initially planned to take a Caribbean cruise out of Houston before heading to Laurel, Mississippi, to visit the home of one of their favorite HGTV shows, “Home Town.”

The Calgary couple scrapped those plans and vacationed last month along Mexico’s Pacific coast instead, put off by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada, the insults he’s hurled at their homeland, and stories about American border agents searching people’s phones and detaining foreigners for minor reasons.

She found it ironic that she felt more comfortable traveling to Mexico than the U.S.

“I never thought I would hear myself say that,” Diane Bellamy said.

Trump’s attacks on Canada’s economy and threats to make it the 51st state have infuriated Canadians, who are canceling trips to the U.S. in big numbers. They also seem to have also flipped the narrative heading into Canada’s parliamentary elections on Monday, with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party surging after trailing far behind in the polls just a few months ago.

A steep decline

The U.S. gets more visitors from Canada each year than from any other country, according to the U.S. Travel Association, an industry trade group, which said the 20.4 million visits from Canada last year generated $20.5 billion in spending.

But there has been a big drop in foreigners traveling to the U.S. since Trump took office, and Canadians are no exception. There were more than 910,000 fewer land border crossings from Canada into the U.S. last month than in March of 2024 — a more than 22% drop — according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. An Air Canada spokesman, meanwhile, said Canada-U.S. flight bookings for April through September are down about 10%.

Trump brushed aside the decline in tourism to the United States on Wednesday, saying, “There’s a little nationalism there I guess, perhaps. It’s not a big deal.”

Traveler worries

Since Trump started his second term, there have been well-publicized reports of tourists being stopped at U.S. border crossings and held for weeks at immigration detention facilities before being allowed to fly home at their own expense.

On March 3, Canadian Jasmine Mooney, an actor and entrepreneur on a U.S. work visa, was detained by U.S. border agents in San Diego. She was released after 12 days detention.

Before Mooney’s release, British Columbia Premier David Eby expressed concern, saying: “It certainly reinforces anxiety that … many Canadians have about our relationship with the U.S. right now, and the unpredictability of this administration and its actions.”

The Canadian Association of University Teachers, which represents faculty and staff at Canadian universities, warned its members against nonessential travel to the U.S. due to the “political landscape” under Trump and reports of Canadians encountering difficulties crossing the border.

Academics who have expressed negative views about the Trump administration should be particularly cautious about traveling to the U.S., said the group.

“People are scared to cross the border. I don’t know what Americans are thinking, quite frankly. Are they that oblivious?” said former Quebec Premier Jean Charest, who has family in Florida.

Mike Sauer, who runs a community policing center in Vancouver, said he and his partner have no interest in traveling to the U.S. now because of Trump’s politics and border fears. One of Sauer’s concerns is that if a border guard were to check his cellphone, the guard might see his past purchases of marijuana, which is legal to buy in Canada and about half the 50 states but is still illegal under U.S. federal law.

“The States have a different view on drugs. They could certainly look at my phone and see I’m 420-friendly,” he said, meaning he’s marijuana-friendly. “I think it kind of depends on which border guard would have a problem with that and which ones wouldn’t.”

Dietra Wilson, 32, said when she was younger, she often visited Detroit, which is just across the border from Windsor, Ontario, where she and her husband, Ben, own a secondhand shop. She hasn’t visited much in recent years, though, and she said she’s heard of people’s worries about crossing the border since Trump moved back into the White House.

“It’s worrisome,” she said.

Ben Wilson, 37, also has qualms about trying to cross.

“Why would I want to?” he said. “Regardless of the tariffs, if I’m going to be stopped at the border for my phone or something somebody texted me, why go?”

Industry worries

The drop in Canadian tourism to the U.S. led California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frequent target of Trump, to announce an ad campaign this month meant to lure Canadians back to his state, citing a 12% year-on-year drop in February.

McKenzie McMillan, a consultant with a Vancouver-based travel agency, The Travel Group, said the company’s bookings to the U.S. have dried up. “We have seen a near-total collapse of U.S. business,” he said. “Probably about a 90% drop since February.”

Lesley Keyter, the CEO and founder of the Travel Lady agency in Calgary, said she’s seen people actually forfeit money to cancel their U.S. trips.

“Even if they’re going on a Caribbean cruise, they don’t want to go down to Fort Lauderdale to get on the cruise ship,” she said.

Justin Bieber is hitting back at what he calls “gossip” and “lies” on social media, addressing for the first time a whirlwind of concerns about his mental health that has spread online in recent months. 

Bieber’s personal life has been a nonstop focus of internet speculation for years, with his every move documented by fan accounts and celebrity-focused media. Most recently, fans expressed concern on social media about his behavior at Coachella, where he was filmed smoking while dancing. 

Bieber has rarely responded to the online rumors, but posted to Instagram on Thursday. 

“They treat me like a– out here, but if I remember that I am flawed too and god forgave me, It helps me to stop feeling better than those people who are mean and hurtful,” Bieber, 31, wrote. “Because when I’m really honest I can be mean and hurtful too.” 

A representative for Bieber did not respond to a request for comment.

The pop superstar, who’s spent his entire adolescence and adulthood as a household name, has been open about the way his early fame has affected his mental health. More recently, he’s posted online about his “anger issues” and his fears around being “inauthentic” or “not enough.” 

That has done little to quell the online fervor around his personal life and anything he posts online. 

In recent months, his online followers have raised speculation about a series of cryptic social media posts from Bieber, who has been particularly active on Instagram this year. The posts, along with the fan-captured videos of him at Coachella, have fueled unverified rumors about whether the Canadian singer is struggling with substance use or mental health issues. 

During the music festival, Bieber also posted content to his Instagram page of him enjoying an artist’s set and riding in a golf cart on the Coachella grounds with friends. 

In February, a rep for Bieber told TMZ that rumors around Bieber are untrue, and that the continual speculation about his mental and physical health is “exhausting and pitiful and shows that despite the obvious truth, people are committed to keeping negative, salacious, harmful narratives alive.” 

In his latest Instagram post, Bieber wrote: “my instinct is to be like damn I wouldnt gossip and spread lies about someone on the internet but there’s other s— I do I’m not proud of.” 

As Bieber grew from a teenage internet phenom to a full-blown pop culture entity, his love life has been the focus of intense scrutiny and obsessive speculation from fans. 

Throughout the course of his decadelong relationship with his wife, Hailey Bieber, 28, fans have consistently compared her his former flame Selena Gomez, often making unfounded accusations about the two women. 

This parasocial dynamic, in which fans adopt one-sided emotional bonds with their favorite celebrities, has led to assertions about Bieber’s alleged lingering affection for Gomez. Their highly publicized on-and-off romance became a formative pop culture saga for some fans, who now insist that Biebers’ marriage is disingenuous. 

The pair, who got married in 2018, welcomed their first child, Jack Blues Bieber, last year.  

In 2020, Hailey Bieber shared in a lengthy Instagram post that she “hurt[s] very easily when I feel like people don’t see my heart and see me for who I am,” adding that social media is “SUCH a breeding ground for cruelty.” 

“I could sit here all day and say the hate doesn’t bug me, that the words that are said don’t affect me. But NEWS FLASH: it hurts to be torn apart on the internet!!!” she wrote. “It hurts to be compared to other human beings every single day, it hurts for people to jump to conclusions and make assumptions.” 

In his post on Thursday, Justin Bieber also appeared to allude to the persistent internet gossip around his relationship. 

“And honestly if I was u it would be hard not to be jealous if I saw me and Hailey going so brazzzzyy,” he wrote. “It’s really up for us and that’s understandable why people can’t stand it. I don’t blame em.” 

A judge on Thursday refused to rule out the death penalty in the trial of a man accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in 2022.

Defense attorneys for Bryan Kohberger had sought to strike capital punishment as an option in his upcoming murder trial, but Judge Steven Hippler denied the request.

Attorneys for Kohberger argued that he was recently found to have autism spectrum disorder and that the death penalty would be “dehumanizing.”

“No court has ever found ASD to be a categorically death-disqualifying diagnosis,” Hippler wrote in the ruling.

He wrote that prosecutors were correct in their arguments that autism spectrum disorder does not qualify under the law for exemptions for the death penalty under intellectual disabilities, and that there is no national consensus on the issue.

Kohberger is charged with murder and other counts in the stabbing deaths of four students in an off-campus Moscow, Idaho, home where most of the victims lived on Nov. 13, 2022.

He is accused of killing Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in the three story-home. Investigators believe the students were killed sometime between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m., according to court documents. Their bodies were discovered later that morning after roommates were unable to contact them.

Hippler in November had previously ruled that prosecutors could seek the death penalty in the case.

In a separate ruling Thursday, Hippler allowed the 911 call from the surviving roommates the day the bodies were discovered and texts to be admitted at trial, as long the proper foundation is laid. Some redactions were ordered.

Kohberger was a resident of Pullman, Washington, around 10 miles from Moscow, and he was doctoral student in the criminal justice and criminology department at the Washington State University when the killings occurred.

He was arrested in northeastern Pennsylvania on Dec. 30, 2022.

Kohberger has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. A judge has entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

The trial is scheduled to begin on Aug. 11.

A motive remains unclear in the slayings.

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders was not selected in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday.

Sanders, 23, was one of the most polarizing prospects in this year’s NFL draft. Many mock drafts predicted Sanders would land with the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 21st pick in the first round, though opinions ranged from as high as third overall to out of the first round entirely.

The Steelers ultimately took Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon at that spot.

The only other quarterback taken in the first round after No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward was Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. The New York Giants traded for the 25th pick to select Dart.

The son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, the Buffaloes’ head coach, Shedeur Sanders was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in his senior campaign at Colorado, completing 74.0% of his passes with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Sanders began his collegiate career at Jackson State, a historically Black university, in 2021, when his father was the head coach. After two seasons with the Tigers, he followed his father to Colorado, where he spent another two years.

The Buffaloes won only one game the year before Sanders arrived. In his second season they won nine, their most since 2016.

In the lead-up to the draft, scouts and coaches raised questions about Sanders both on and off the field.

One quarterbacks coach reportedly referred to him as “brash” and “arrogant.” Another assistant coach told NFL Network that he was “entitled” after what he described as “the worst formal interview” he’d ever been a part of. 

“He’s so entitled,” the anonymous assistant told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates. … But the biggest thing is, he’s not that good.”

On the field, Sanders has been criticized for both his lack of arm strength and his decision-making. In his two seasons with the Buffaloes, he took a whopping 94 sacks.

But he has also been lauded for his accuracy, completing over 70% of his throws over the last two years.

“I truly don’t have any space for negativity, so it doesn’t play a factor in my life at all,” Sanders told NBC News this month about the criticism he has received. “I understand the easiest thing in the world to do is to be negative instead of positive. I truly don’t care what people have to say.”

He added: “I’m happy everything is happening this way. I like a lot of chaos, because it shows you who’s really there. I wouldn’t change a thing, because this adds to the story.”

The 2025 NFL draft was only minutes old when one of the league’s newest general managers shook up the night with a blockbuster trade.

The Jacksonville Jaguars moved up from No. 5 to select Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter with the second pick.

Follow along for live coverage of Round 1 of the NFL draft

Hunter is perhaps the draft’s best athlete, a top recruit out of high school who developed into a star while playing both receiver and cornerback for Colorado and coach Deion Sanders.

With the fifth pick it received from Jacksonville, the Cleveland Browns took Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham.

Cleveland badly needs a quarterback, with even team owner Jimmy Haslam recently describing the Browns’ disastrous trade for Deshaun Watson as a “big swing and miss,” yet the pick of Graham and the initial trade down from No. 2 suggest the Browns were not enticed by the class of quarterbacks available.

Next year’s quarterback class could potentially include Arch Manning of Texas and Penn State’s Drew Allar.

The trade to grab Hunter brought to mind comments made by new Jaguars general manager James Gladstone at his introductory press conference months ago.

“We will prioritize people and players that are intangibly rich, and by doing so, they will elevate our ecosystem by being nothing more than themselves,” Gladstone, 34, said.

Hunter is certainly more than a typical player. Last season he caught 96 passes, including 15 touchdowns, averaging 12.9 yards per reception — the type of big-play target who could help Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars quarterback and former No. 1 overall pick.

Defensively, Hunter had 36 tackles and four interceptions with 11 passes defended.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jaguars are expected to allow Hunter to play both offense and defense in the NFL, which was his wish.