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Today β€” 22 May 2025Main stream

'Around the Horn' panelist questions if ESPN canceled show due to potential 'woke' label

βœ‡Latest Sports News Today on Fox News
22 May 2025 at 14:31

Friday will mark the final episode of a longtime ESPN staple, as "Around the Horn" will be off the airwaves for good after roughly two decades of action.

Jay Mariotti, who was a regular on the show until his domestic violence arrest in 2010, said in a recent interview that the show is being canceled because it went "woke."

But another panelist, Sarah Spain, questioned whether the network canceled the show, because they would be "scared" of being labeled as such.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"It confounds me that they are canceling it. The format allows for a continuous stream of new people, to highlight reporters on your network. I’m admittedly biased, but this is progressive voices and people of color you’re taking off TV. I don’t know for sure that’s their intention, but are you so scared of getting called β€˜woke’?" she said in an interview with The Washington Post.

Tony Reali, the longtime host of the show, said he did not "believe" that was the reason.

"I don’t believe what that is. I honestly think we did 50,000 topics over 23 years. You’re going to tell me 10 or 15 drew an eyebrow up? I’ll be like, β€˜Yeah, we were doing some complex topics from time to time.’ I don’t mute people in Face Time, so maybe there’s two or three there that didn’t have the back-and-forth that you’d want. Maybe there’s one or two I’d take back if you ask me; those aren’t my regrets. Not at all," he said on "The Dan Patrick Show" recently.

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER'S MOTHER LEAVES EMOTIONAL VOICEMAIL AFTER HER SON WINS MVP

In one of its final episodes earlier this month, Kate Fagan, who had made scarce appearances since leaving the network in 2018, was determined as the "winner" of the show against Jemele Hill, who had not been on the show since that same year after being fired for negative posts about President Donald Trump.

In her victory monologue, Fagan made a plea that "trans kids deserve to play sports."

"Think about what you remember from your time playing sports. Ninety-nine percent of it is finding that jersey for the first time, your favorite number, community, joy, those high-fives," Fagan said. "It's that moment when you have a great play with a teammate. It's the feeling of belonging. And it does not know gender. Trans kids deserve the same as everyone else does. Sports is joy. Sports is humanity. And the more people who have that, the better."

Mariotti name-dropped Hill in that aforementioned interview, adding the show "lost some audience." In another post on his own Substack, headlined "Around the Horn ended a long time ago - when I left the show," Mariotti reiterated that some of the panelists went "woke" while others were "on dope."

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White House says Trump wants to primary Republicans who voted against the 'Big Beautiful Bill'

βœ‡Latest News
By: Bryan Metzger
22 May 2025 at 14:15
Reps. Warren Davidson and Thomas Massie
Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio (left) and Thomas Massie of Kentucky (right) were the only two House Republicans to vote against the bill.

Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

  • Two House Republicans voted against the "Big Beautiful Bill" on Thursday.
  • Now, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says Trump wants them to face primary challenges.
  • "I don't think he likes to see grandstanders in Congress," she said.

Four months into his second term, President Donald Trump wants members of his own party thrown out of office over their perceived lack of loyalty to his "Big Beautiful Bill"

That was the message delivered by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt after two Republicans β€” Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky β€” voted against Trump's bill as it passed the House on Thursday.

Asked by a reporter at a briefing later on Thursday whether Trump think the duo should be primaried, Leavitt responded: "I believe he does."

Q: Two Republicans votes against this bill -- Massie and Davidson -- does the president believe they should be primaried?

LEAVITT: I believe he does and I don't think he likes to see grandstanders in Congress ... the vast majority of Republicans are listening to the president.… pic.twitter.com/Bi55fQ1Qai

β€” Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 22, 2025

"I don't think he likes to see grandstanders in Congress," Leavitt said. "'What's the alternative?' I would ask those members of Congress. Did they want to see a tax hike? Did they want to see our country go bankrupt?"

Both Massie and Davidson are deficit hawks who voted against the bill because, in their view, it did not cut spending enough.

I agree with @WarrenDavidson. If we were serious, we’d be cutting spending now, instead of promising to cut spending years from now. https://t.co/DFxTyhhYA9

β€” Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 22, 2025

Other Republicans have raised concerns about the bill's effect on the deficit but voted for it anyway. Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, the chairman of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, voted "present."

In response to Leavitt's comments, Massie asked for donations on X.

"For voting on principle, I now have the President AND his press Secretary campaigning against me from the White House podium," Massie wrote. "Can you help me by donating?"

A spokesperson for Davidson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While the Ohio congressman doesn't typically cross Trump, the president has long been critical of Massie β€” and vice versa. The Kentucky Republican backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during the 2024 GOP primary, and Trump previously called for Massie to face a primary challenge in 2020.

Earlier this week, Trump bashed Massie in front of reporters.

"I don't think Thomas Massie understands government. I think he's a grandstander," Trump said on Tuesday. "I think he should be voted out of office."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Hinge Health just broke open the digital health IPO market. Here's who's getting rich.

βœ‡Latest News
By: Rebecca Torrence
22 May 2025 at 14:06
Hinge Health cofounders Daniel Perez, CEO, and Gabriel Mecklenburg, executive chairman.

Hinge Health

  • Hinge Health just went public in a watershed moment for the digital health industry.
  • Its shares popped Thursday, jumping to over $39 a share, up 23% from its IPO price.
  • Here's what Hinge Health's major investors' stakes are worth after its IPO.

Physical therapy startup Hinge Health finally went public Thursday in a watershed moment for the digital health market.

Hinge Health's stock price popped after debuting on the New York Stock Exchange, soaring to $39.25 per share, 23% above its initial public offering price of $32 a share.

The $32 IPO share price valued Hinge Health at about $2.6 billion, based on shares outstanding after the IPO. At the market close, however, the company was worth about $3 billion.

It's a strong start for Hinge Health's public market debut, and the first true glimmer of hope for the digital health IPO market in years.

The last wave of healthcare public market exits, in 2021, saw 23 healthcare companies go public via IPO or SPAC. In the following three years, only four healthcare companies went public. Only two of those, Waystar and Tempus AI, are still trading on the stock market.

Hinge Health, founded in 2014 to provide virtual care for musculoskeletal conditions, was forced to consider a delay for its IPO plans in early April after President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on imported goods from other countries, causing a sharp drop in the stock market. It resumed those efforts publicly this month as the market stabilized.

Hinge Health raised $437 million in the IPO, which included $273 million in proceeds to the company and $164 million to its selling shareholders.

Hinge Health's $2.6 billion IPO valuation is a 52% markdown from its last private valuation of $6.2 billion. It notched that valuation in a 2021 $400 million Series E round co-led by Tiger Global and Coatue Management.

We don't know what Hinge Health's investors paid for their shares, so we can't calculate their profit. However, since Hinge Health's shares opened on the stock market at $39.25, we used that price to determine the worth of their stakes.

Here's what the stakes of all of Hinge Health's major investors and executives are worth after the IPO.

Insight Partners, an investor: $433 million
New York office of venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners.
Insight Partners' New York office.

Insight Partners

Venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners owns the largest stake in Hinge Health with about 12.3 million shares, or 13.7% of the company.

The firm led Hinge Health's $26 million Series B fundraise in 2018. Teddie Wardi, a managing director at Insight Partners, has served on Hinge Health's board of directors since the firm's investment.

Insight Partners later participated in Hinge Health's Series C and D rounds in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Insight Partners sold 1.25 million shares in Hinge Health's IPO, which at the $32 IPO price would have brought in $40 million.

At the $39.25 market debut price, the firm's remaining stake is worth about $433 million.

Daniel Perez, cofounder and CEO: $414 million
Daniel Perez, Co-Founder & CEO of Hinge Health
Daniel Perez, cofounder & CEO of Hinge Health.

Hinge Health

Daniel Perez's first encounter with physical therapy came after a bike crash when he was 13 years old, which forced him to undergo three surgeries and 12 months of rehabilitation.

He started Hinge Health alongside executive chairman Gabriel Mecklenburg to improve the accessibility of musculoskeletal care and reduce the specialty's reliance on surgeries and opioids.

Hinge Health is Perez and Mecklenburg's third venture, after the Oxbridge Biotech Roundtable, which aimed to bridge the gap between life sciences academia and markets, and Marblar, a platform designed to generate commercial uses for scientific discoveries.

Perez is Hinge Health's largest individual shareholder. He owns about 10.6 million shares, or 13.1% of the company. He didn't sell any shares in the IPO.

At the $39.25 market debut price, his stake is worth about $414 million.

Atomico, an investor: $309 million
Niklas Zennstrom Atomico
Niklas ZennstrΓΆm, Atomico's founder and CEO.

Getty Images Europe

Atomico is a London-based venture firm started in 2006 by Skype cofounder Niklas ZennstrΓΆm. The firm led Hinge Health's $8 million Series A in 2017, when the startup was based in London. (Hinge Health moved its headquarters to San Francisco the same year.)

Atomico later participated in Hinge Health's Series B, C, and D funding rounds.

Atomico owns about 7.9 million shares, or 9.8% of the company. The firm sold 1,497,546 shares in the IPO, which at the IPO price of $32 would have brought in about $48 million.

At the $39.25 market debut price, the firm's remaining stake is worth about $309 million.

Tiger Global, an investor: $207 million
Chase Coleman square
Chase Coleman, the founder of Tiger Global.

Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg

Investment firm Tiger Global first backed Hinge Health in 2021, co-leading its $300 million Series D alongside Coatue Management. In October of that year, Tiger Global also co-led the company's $400 million Series E, also alongside Coatue.

The $400 million Series E round boosted Hinge Health to the $6.2 billion valuation that Hinge Health was forced to slash in its IPO. Tiger Global has drawn criticism in recent years for backing startups at extraordinarily high valuations, particularly during 2021's venture investment peak.

Tiger Global owns about 5.3 million shares, or 6.5% of the company. The firm sold 258,183 shares in the IPO, which at the IPO price of $32 would have brought in about $8.3 million.

At the $39.25 market debut price, the firm's remaining stake is worth about $207 million.

Coatue Management, an investor: $185 million
Philippe Laffont
Coatue Management founder and CEO Philippe Laffont.

Eduardo Munoz/ Reuters

New York-based Coatue Management invests across all private and public fundraising stages, with venture capital, private equity, and hedge fund management units. The firm co-led Hinge Health's $300 million Series D alongside Tiger Global in January 2021, then co-led its $400 million Series E with Tiger Global that October.

Hinge Health's S-1 filing notes that Coatue will sell $50 million in Series E preferred shares back to the company immediately before Hinge's IPO. That agreement was created in February, per the filing. The company didn't share a reason for the stock repurchase.

Coatue owns about 4.7 million shares of common stock, or 5.8% of the company. The firm didn't sell any shares in the IPO.

At the $39.25 market debut price, the firm's stake is worth about $185 million.

11.2 Capital, an investor: $169 million
shelley zhuang
11.2 Capital founder Shelley Zhuang.

11.2 Capital

San Francisco-based 11.2 Capital backs early-stage tech startups and wrote one of the first checks into Hinge Health.

The firm led Hinge Health's seed round in 2016, and invested further in its Series A, B, C, and D rounds, according to the firm.

11.2 Capital owns about 4.3 million shares, or 5.4% of Hinge Health. The firm sold 788,691 shares in the IPO, which at the IPO price of $32 would have brought in about $25 million.

At the $39.25 market debut price, the firm's remaining stake is worth about $169 million.

Bessemer Venture Partners, an investor: $161 million
Elliot Robinson, Partner, Growth Equity at Bessemer Venture Partners
Bessemer partner Elliott Robinson sits on Hinge Health's board of directors.

Bessemer Venture Partners

Bessemer Venture Partners backs early-stage and growth-stage startups through venture and private equity investments. The firm has more than 300 companies in its portfolio, according to its website.

Bessemer led Hinge Health's $90 million Series C in February 2020. Bessemer partner Elliott Robinson has served on Hinge Health's board of directors since that round.

The firm also participated in Hinge Health's $300 million Series D round in January 2021.

Bessemer Venture Partners owns about 4.1 million shares, or 5.1% of the company. The firm sold 725,066 shares in the IPO, which at the IPO price of $32 would have brought in about $24 million.

At the $39.25 market debut price, its remaining stake is worth about $161 million.

Gabriel Mecklenburg, cofounder and executive chairman: $158 million
Hinge Health cofounder and executive chairman Gabriel Mecklenburg.
Hinge Health cofounder and executive chairman Gabriel Mecklenburg.

Hinge Health

Gabriel Mecklenburg cofounded Hinge Health alongside Perez, personally inspired by the months of physical therapy he completed after tearing his ACL in a judo sparring session.

Mecklenburg served as the company's COO for six years. It was a familiar role for him; he'd held the COO title at the two companies he started with Perez before Hinge Health, Oxbridge Biotech Roundtable and Marblar.

In 2021, he transitioned to his current role of executive chairman. In addition to his work with Hinge Health, he's served on the board of addiction care startup Pelago since 2022.

Mecklenburg owns about 4 million shares, or 4.9% of the company. He did not sell any shares in the IPO.

At the $39.25 market debut price, his stake is worth about $158 million.

IP2IPO, an investor: $42 million
IP Group's homepage screenshot.
IP Group's website.

IP Group

IP2IPO, named IP2IPO Portfolio LP in Hinge Health's S-1, specializes in moving innovative technologies, talent, and intellectual property from academic institutions to commercial industries.

Both Perez and Mecklenburg stepped away from pursuing higher education degrees to build Hinge Health. Perez was taking a leave of absence from a Ph.D. program in biochemistry at the University of Oxford, while Mecklenburg was researching musculoskeletal regenerative medicine at Imperial College London.

IP2IPO is a subsidiary of IP Group, a London-based firm that backs breakthrough science and tech companies. IP Group says it's the founding investor in Hinge Health.

The firm told BI it actually invested in Marblar, Perez and Mecklenburg's previous startup, back in 2012. That investment rolled over into Hinge Health.

"As the UK's leading investor in university spinouts, we met Dan whilst he was in Oxford, working on brilliant ideas and showing real entrepreneurial spirit and tenacity," said Robert Trezona, a partner at IP Group. He said IP Group invested around Β£1 million, or about $1.12 million at the time, shortly after meeting Perez.

IP2IPO owns about 1.1 million shares, or 1.3% of the company. The firm sold about 47,000 shares in the IPO, which at the IPO price of $32 would have brought in about $1.5 million.

At the $39.25 market debut price, its remaining stake would be worth about $42 million.

Heuristic Capital, an investor: $40 million
Heuristic Capital Partners website homepage screenshot.
Heuristic Capital's website.

Heuristic Capital

Early-stage VC firm Heuristic Capital was founded in 2016, and first invested in Hinge Health's seed round that same year.

The Santa Clara, California-based firm then invested in Hinge Health's four subsequent raises, from Hinge Health's Series A to its Series D. Heuristic Capital told BI that the Hinge Health team worked out of the firm's San Francisco office in the startup's early days, moving into an independent office in the Bay Area after successfully closing a Series A round.

The firm owns about 1 million shares of Hinge Health, or 1.3% of the company. It sold 194,305 shares in the IPO, which at the initial share price of $32 would have brought in about $6.2 million.

At the $39.25 market debut price, its remaining stake would be worth about $40 million.

Jim Pursley, president: $24 million
Jim Pursley, president of Hinge Health.
Jim Pursley is president of Hinge Health.

Hinge Health

Longtime digital health executive Jim Pursley joined Hinge Health as its president in 2021. He'd previously worked with the Hinge Health team as an advisor from 2017 to 2019.

Pursley came to Hinge Health from Livongo, where he spent six years as the diabetes company's chief commercial officer through its 2019 IPO. He left the company shortly after Livongo announced its $18.5 billion acquisition by Teladoc in 2020.

He also held leadership roles at GE Healthcare and Care Innovations, a joint venture between Intel and GE.

In addition to his role at Hinge Health, he serves as an independent board member at digital therapeutics company Bodyport.

Pursley owns about 604,665 shares. He did not sell any shares in the IPO.

At the $39.25 market debut price, his stake is worth about $24 million.

The Vertical Group, an investor: $22 million
The Vertical Group website homepage.
The Vertical Group website.

Vertical Group

The Vertical Group, named in Hinge Health's S-1 as Vertical GP-8, is a Basking Ridge, New Jersey-based firm that invests in healthcare and biotech companies. Vertical invested in Hinge Health's seed and Series A funding rounds, according to the firm.

The firm told BI that it previously sold a portion of its Hinge Health shares in a secondary transaction in 2021, at $77 a share, and another portion in a 2023 secondary sale, at $36 a share.

Vertical is also an investor in diabetes care startup Omada Health, according to the firm's website. Omada is the only other digital health company to file to go public so far this year.

Vertical GP-8 owns 554,919 shares. The firm sold about 106,000 shares in the IPO, which at the IPO price of $32 would have brought in about $3.4 million.

At the $39.25 market debut price, the firm's remaining stake is worth about $22 million.

Jon Reynolds, an angel investor: $14 million
Jon Reynolds, cofounder of SwiftKey and an angel investor.
Jon Reynolds, cofounder of SwiftKey and an angel investor in Hinge Health.

Jonathan Reynolds

Jon Reynolds is the cofounder and former CEO of SwiftKey, the AI-powered keyboard app acquired by Microsoft in 2016. He told BI he first backed Hinge Health that same year, participating in the startup's seed and seed extension funding rounds.

Reynolds owned about 360,175 shares. He sold 68,605 shares in the IPO, which at the IPO price of $32 would have brought in about $2.2 million.

At the $39.25 market debut price, his remaining stake is worth about $14 million.

Industry Ventures, an investor: $12 million
Industry Ventures CEO Hans Swildens
Industry Ventures CEO Hans Swildens.

Industry Ventures

San Francisco-based Industry Ventures makes VC bets using flexible capital structures, including secondary transactions and buyouts.

Hinge Health has never publicly announced a secondary transaction made by Industry Ventures. Hinge Health's S-1 specifies that Industry Ventures invested in the company through its Secondary IX fund, which the firm announced in March 2021. Industry Ventures didn't respond to a request for comment from BI.

Industry Ventures owns 307,259 shares. The firm sold 58,526 shares in the IPO, which at the initial share price of $32 would have brought in about $1.9 million.

At the $39.25 market debut price, its remaining stake is worth about $12 million.

James Budge, CFO: $6.8 million
James Budge, CFO of Hinge Health.
James Budge, CFO of Hinge Health.

Hinge Health

Serial CFO James Budge joined Hinge Health as its finance chief in 2023.

According to his LinkedIn, he's been the CFO of at least eight other companies, spanning industries from workforce software to entertainment tech.

He's also served on the board of directors of healthtech company Shadowbox since 2022.

Budge owns 172,241 shares. He did not sell any shares in the IPO.

At the $39.25 market debut price, his stake is worth about $6.8 million.

Kristina Leslie, board member: $343,000
Kris Leslie, Hinge Health board member.
Kris Leslie sits on Hinge Health's board of directors.

Hinge Health

Kristina Leslie joined Hinge Health's board of directors in May 2024 as its audit chair.

Leslie, the former CFO of Dreamworks Animation, has spent nearly two decades serving on various company boards, including Glassdoor, CVB Financial Corp., and Rover. According to her LinkedIn, she currently sits on the boards of Sunstone Hotel Investors and Justworks and chairs the board of directors of Blue Shield of California.

Leslie owns 8,750 shares. She did not sell any shares in the IPO.

At the $39.25 market debut price, her stake is worth about $343,000.

Read the original article on Business Insider

More Material 3 Expressive Google apps: Fitbit, Meet, and ChatΒ 

βœ‡Latest Google News
By: Abner Li
22 May 2025 at 14:19

Material 3 Expressive was officially unveiled last week at The Android Show, with Google releasing guidance at that time. At I/O 2025, we had a β€œBuild next-level UX with Material 3 Expressive” session with another tease at upcoming Google app redesigns, like Fitbit.

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