NIKKI HALEY campaigning (Shutterstock).

Once a fierce critic of former president Donald Trump and the last of his challengers for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Nikki Halley now says she will vote for him.

Speaking on foreign policy in Washington, she said, “Trump has not been perfect on these policies. I’ve made that clear many, many times. But [President Joe] Biden has been a catastrophe. So, I will be voting for Trump.”

In the past, she had described him as “a kook,” “a pathological liar” and an “unsafe president.”  Other former rivals for the nomination such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have similarly dropped opposition – sometimes harshly stated – to the former president – but later recanted and expressed support.

College sports’  $2.8 billion payout

The National Collegiate Athletic Association, along with the five biggest and most influential conferences, have agreed to a settlement of $2.8 billion over antitrust claims.

Agreeing to the deal in addition to the NCAA were the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference.

Assuming that the agreement is approved – a federal judge has oversight – it will have the effect of making direct money payments to athletes and colleges could “bid” for top performers as professional teams do for rookies and free agents. The sports most likely affected will be football and men’s and women’s basketball.

Sports: Day off for the locals

Both the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers have Thursday off and will resume play on Friday. The Angels (20-30) will be back in Anaheim hosting the Cleveland Guardians, while the Dodgers (33-19) will be in Cincinnati starting a series with the Reds.

Weather: Cool, but then warmer

The cooling trend for the West Orange County area appears to bottom out on Friday, warming toward Memorial Day. The forecast for Friday through Sunday calls for morning clouds and afternoon sun with daytime highs rising from 66 to 69. Overnight lows will range from 56 to 58. Monday with see partly cloudy skies with a high of 73 (57).