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Lindsey Graham, South Carolina senator who rose from small-town roots to GOP power broker, dies at 71

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 10:36:41 -0400

Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died Saturday at 71 following what his office described as a "brief and sudden illness," spent more than three decades as one of the Republican Party's most influential voices.

The South Carolina Republican forged a congressional career spanning more than 30 years, emerging as one of Capitol Hill's most recognizable Republicans and a trusted adviser to President Donald Trump on national security, judicial nominations and foreign policy.

Born on July 9, 1955, in Central, South Carolina, Graham grew up helping his parents run the family business before becoming the first in his household to attend college.

His life changed dramatically while he was a student at the University of South Carolina, when both of his parents died within 15 months of each other, leaving him to raise his younger sister.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM DEAD AT 71 AFTER 'BRIEF AND SUDDEN' ILLNESS, OFFICE SAYS

After earning a law degree, Graham joined the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps, serving as a military lawyer before entering politics. He remained in the Air Force Reserve throughout much of his congressional career, retiring as a colonel after more than three decades of service.

His political career began in 1992, when he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. Two years later, he won a seat in the U.S. House as part of the Republican wave that gave the GOP control of Congress.

He emerged as a national figure during President Bill Clinton's impeachment, serving as one of the House managers who presented the case against Clinton during the 1999 Senate trial.

The high-profile role elevated his standing within the Republican Party and helped establish him as a rising conservative voice on Capitol Hill.

'AMERICA AND THE WORLD HAVE LOST A DETERMINED LEADER': TRIBUTES POUR IN AFTER SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM'S DEATH

In 2002, he was elected to the Senate, succeeding longtime Republican Sen. Strom Thurmond.

Over the next two decades, Graham became one of the Senate's most influential Republicans on national security, serving on the Armed Services and Judiciary committees while emerging as a leading voice on military affairs, judicial confirmations and U.S. foreign policy.

One of Graham's closest political relationships was with Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Along with Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman, the three became known as the bipartisan "Three Amigos," frequently traveling to war zones and emerging as some of Congress' strongest advocates for American military power and support for U.S. allies.

CHAD PERGRAM BREAKS DOWN WHAT'S NEXT FOR GOP AFTER GRAHAM'S DEATH

Graham championed higher defense spending and was among Congress' most vocal supporters of Israel and, more recently, Ukraine.

He also played a central role in reshaping the federal courts. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Graham helped steer the confirmation of dozens of federal judges, including Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. He also emerged as one of Brett Kavanaugh's fiercest defenders during the justice's contentious 2018 confirmation battle, calling the process "the most unethical sham" he had seen in politics.

His relationship with Trump underwent one of Washington's most notable political transformations.

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After sharply criticizing Trump during the 2016 Republican primary, Graham became one of the president's closest congressional allies, advising him on judicial nominations, national security and foreign policy while serving as a key defender of his agenda.

Graham remained a leading voice in the Republican conference until his death. At the time of his death, he was serving as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and campaigning for a fifth Senate term.

He never married and had no children.

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South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster called Graham "irreplaceable" and the "fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America." Per South Carolina law, McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement for Graham, who was seeking a fifth term in November.

President Trump wrote on Truth Social that Graham "was always working," and called the Palmetto State senator "a true American Patriot."

Funeral and memorial arrangements were not immediately announced. Trump said on Truth Social that "details and arrangements" would follow.

Man turns tragic loss of best friend to suicide into urgent outreach to lonely strangers

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 10:32:56 -0400

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

A 30-year-old man has been asking people he doesn’t know to sit with him in pubs across the country ever since December of last year, as part of what he calls his "Empty Chairs" campaign.

Dean Perryman came up with the idea after his best friend, Rob Clancy, tragically died by suicide at age 29 just a month earlier.

Wanting to make sure nobody else ever felt alone — even perfect strangers — Perryman started heading out to restaurants and pubs wearing a bright orange hoodie to make his presence obvious to anyone choosing to chat with him.

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Just a few weeks ago, he held his program's 1000th meet-up in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, featuring about 12 attendees — and said he's proud of how far it has come.

"It has been such an incredible experience. I am loving every second of it still," the resident of Stratford in East London told news agency SWNS.

"When I started, it came from such a place of sadness — and to see how this simple idea has been able to help so many people has been really nice," he said. "I have been able to meet and connect with so many new people and learn about them. It gives people an opportunity to speak openly if they need it."

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Perryman works for team-building game company Chicken Rush. He used social media, he said, to create interest in the "Empty Chair" idea, he said.

The events started in London and Essex before the founder began recruiting volunteers to host them across the U.K. — and the rest of the world as well.

Events have since been planned in Manchester, Bedford, Cambridge, Skegness, Gloucester, Leeds, York, Wrexham, and more.

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It has also branched out to other countries, including Colombia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.

He said lots of people actually return to the events, especially in smaller rural towns, as people create and build friendships that last long afterward.

Perryman, who has attended 61 himself, said his favorite part of the events is seeing men open up about their troubles, as he feels they need a safe space to do so.

"Some people come because they really want someone to listen to what they have to say," he said. "Others come because they have the capacity to be there for someone else. Everyone shares their own story, but it stays at the table."

He said the groups have "talked about the difficulty of living in a big city and feeling isolated, but nothing is off the table — we’ve spoken about everything and anything. To give people a place that they can go when they need to talk is incredible."

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Perryman said he has about 200 more events already lined up — and said he has no plans to stop scheduling them, SWNS reported.

He said there is no pattern in terms of who shows up. Usually, it's a diverse group of people.

"Every Empty Chairs event you go to, you are going to meet people of different walks of life," he said. "It is so powerful to show that, no matter who you are, there is a place for you. We have everyone — men, women, young, old. There really isn’t a barrier to entry for this. Whoever needs the space is welcome to come."

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He also said, "A lot of people come because they’re feeling lonely in a new area, or they want to make new friends."

He said he hopes that his Empty Chairs campaign can be a lasting legacy for his best friend, Rob — someone he believes needed a similar space.

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"He was the kindest, sweetest guy you could ever hope to meet," said Perryman. "Like a lot of men, he wasn’t the biggest sharer. He was very much the life and soul of anywhere you went, but he wasn’t someone who would be the first to open up about it if he was feeling some type of way."

"To now be in a position where Empty Chairs looks like it could be a legacy for Rob is amazing," Perryman added.

Media ghouls, commentators across political aisle mock Lindsey Graham’s death with ‘good riddance’ posts

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 10:20:17 -0400

Media pundits and commentators across the political aisle posted blunt reactions online Sunday to the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., hours after his office announced that the 71-year-old lawmaker died Saturday evening following a "brief and sudden illness."

"The Young Turks" co-host and executive producer Ana Kasparian responded to the announcement on X with two words.

"Good riddance," Kasparian said.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM DEAD AT 71 AFTER 'BRIEF AND SUDDEN' ILLNESS, OFFICE SAYS

Far-right political commentator Nick Fuentes also posted the same response online.

"Good riddance," Fuentes said.

Co-creator of "The Young Turks," Cenk Uygur, took to social media to mock Graham’s record by imagining the senator carrying his arguments into the afterlife.

"Lindsey Graham has moved on to the next step in his journey, trying to convince Hades to attack Zeus and Poseidon," Uygur said. "He says it’ll only take a couple of weeks and won’t require any ground troops. And there’s no way Poseidon can close the Strait."

EX-COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL JOE KENT ENDORSES GOP SENATE PRIMARY CHALLENGER AS TRUMP BACKS LINDSEY GRAHAM

Former MSNBC analyst and Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt called Graham a "lonely and unprincipled man who betrayed his country for power and his decency for attention" in a Substack post on Sunday, following the senator's death.

Left-wing streamer, Hasan Piker mocked a tribute honoring Graham's relationship with Israel, by commenting, "lmao."

Graham also received praise for his efforts as a senator, from President Donald Trump and others, including colleagues in South Carolina.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Graham "was always working," and called the Palmetto State senator "a true American Patriot."

"Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!" Trump wrote. "So sad!"

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mourned Graham as one of Israel’s strongest allies and praised the senator’s commitment to the country’s security.

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Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., remembered Graham as a friend who placed his state first.

"South Carolina lost a statesman and I’ve lost a friend," Scott said. "From his humble beginnings to the Senate floor, Lindsey always led with faith, family, and South Carolina first. Lindsey remained committed to public service and doing what he loved."

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., honored Graham’s decades of military and congressional service while acknowledging that the two South Carolina Republicans did not always agree.

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"We did not always agree, but no one ever questioned his love for South Carolina or the fight he brought to every room he walked into," Mace said. "Please join me in praying for his family and for all who called him a friend. Rest easy, Senator."

Graham had represented South Carolina in the Senate since 2003 after serving four terms in the House. The former Air Force lawyer retired as a colonel after 33 years of military service and became a prominent advocate for a muscular U.S. foreign policy. He had returned from Ukraine before his death and was running for a fifth Senate term.

Lindsey Graham's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

'Spectacular' shipwreck found with underwater time capsule of untouched cargo: 'Amazing find'

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 10:00:59 -0400

Archaeologists recently uncovered an 18th-century shipwreck in Norwegian waters containing the best-preserved cargo of its kind ever found in Northern Europe.

The shipwreck's cargo is "unlike anything ever previously found in shipwrecks in Northern Europe," said Hanna Geiran, director of the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage.

The organization announced the discovery earlier in June. The shipwreck was found by Espen Saastad, a watch designer who also operates a small remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and survey company.

RARE CANNONBALL EMERGES FROM GROUND AT THE ALAMO, LIKELY UNTOUCHED FOR NEARLY 190 YEARS

The wreck lies about 1,970 feet beneath the surface in the Skagerrak Strait off Norway's southeastern coast, with pictures showing stacks of porcelain dishes and other artifacts resting on the ocean floor among the ship's remains.

Geiran told Fox News Digital it's generally rare to find such well-preserved cargo from 18th-century ships.

So far, large quantities of undamaged Chinese porcelain have been identified, together with parts of chandeliers, goblets, bottles and barrels of grain.

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"Rows of crates have also been discovered but have not yet been examined," she said.

"One of these appears to contain textiles, while another has a range of organic material, which may include tea, herbs and medicines."

The cargo is "very well-preserved, considering how old it is," Geiran added, though modern trawlers have damaged some parts of the wreck.

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Researchers are still unsure where the ship sailed from or where it was heading, but Geiran said small clues recovered from the wreck may lead them to the answer.

"Besides the Chinese porcelain, we think that the other luxury goods may have originated in England or Germany," Geiran said.

"One very interesting clue is a brick from the ship’s galley that bears the stamp of Lübecker Ratsziegelei, a brickworks in Lübeck that was in operation from the 15th century until 1772."

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While researchers cannot estimate the cargo's original value, Geiran said the porcelain was considered a luxury commodity in the mid-18th century, though it had become increasingly accessible to Europe's bourgeoisie.

Today, she said, the wreck's greatest value lies in its status as a protected cultural monument rather than its monetary worth.

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Geiran added that researchers are "very excited" about future investigations and whether the wreck still holds additional artifacts.

"In the pictures from the seabed, for example, we can glimpse a spectacular lotus plant in porcelain," she said.

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"We are also very pleased that this amazing find will be available for everyone to see when it is eventually exhibited at the Norwegian Maritime Museum in Oslo. This is a spectacular find that belongs to the public."

New Germany sex-crime figures reignite migration fight as exploitation probe expands

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 10:00:04 -0400

New German crime figures and an expanding investigation into an alleged sexual exploitation of teenage girls near the Nuremberg, Germany, central railway station are intensifying a broader European battle over migration, integration and whether officials have been too reluctant to confront patterns of organized sexual abuse.

Germany recorded 751 cases categorized as group rapes in 2025, according to the federal government’s response to a parliamentary inquiry submitted by the opposition Alternative für Deutschland party. All parties represented in the Bundestag German federal parliament may submit formal questions requiring government responses, a key tool through which opposition lawmakers scrutinize federal policy.

Police identified 1,087 suspects in the cases, including 509 German citizens and 578 non-German nationals. Syrians were the largest foreign-national group, with 110 suspects, followed by Afghans with 64, Iraqis with 46 and Turks with 44.

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The government cautioned that "group rape" is not a separate criminal offense or standardized police category. Officials generated the figures by filtering recorded rape cases in which suspects were listed as not acting alone. The numbers represent suspects identified during police investigations, not people convicted in court.

The figures emerged as investigators in Nuremberg, Germany, pursued allegations that vulnerable girls were deliberately drawn into a network involving affection, gifts, narcotics and sexual exploitation.

Bavarian police said in May that men operating around the city’s main railway station allegedly approached girls from unstable or vulnerable backgrounds, initially offering them attention, clothing or cosmetics. Investigators said some were later given hard drugs, including crystal meth, and that their resulting dependency was allegedly exploited to obtain sexual acts or other "services."

STEPDAD ACCUSED OF SEX ASSAULT AS COPS WIDEN PROBE INTO GIRL’S LETHAL BENADRYL INGREDIENT DOSE

The investigation, known as EKO Kajal, has continued to expand. Police said Tuesday that 10 suspects were being held in pretrial detention in cases involving alleged sexual offenses against girls and young women and the distribution of drugs or medication to minors.

In the latest arrests, police alleged that a 21-year-old Syrian man raped two girls, ages 15 and 18, in a Nuremberg, Germany, apartment after they were given narcotics by a 40-year-old Syrian man. Both men were detained, but the accusations remain allegations and have not been adjudicated.

Emma Schubart, a research fellow at the London-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital that the Nuremberg allegations bear similarities to grooming-gang cases uncovered in Britain, where girls were plied with drugs and alcohol before being repeatedly abused by groups of men.

"It’s a severe failure in both countries," Schubart said, arguing that the problem begins with insufficient screening and continues with inadequate integration after migrants arrive.

"The first step that both authorities in the U.K. and in Germany really are not doing is screening migrants effectively," she said. "But then, once the migrants are already here, the integration policy is completely lacking."

Schubart said the isolation of some immigrant communities can contribute to "ghettoization" and create environments in which criminal networks operate with limited scrutiny or cooperation with authorities.

She also challenged the argument that disparities in some sexual-offense statistics can be explained primarily by poverty.

POLYGAMOUS SECT LEADER CONVICTED ON STATE CHARGES AFTER GIRLS FOUND IN UNVENTILATED TRAILER

"Socioeconomic factors matter, but they absolutely do not fully explain the disparities," Schubart said. "Native Germans from similar socioeconomic backgrounds absolutely do not show equivalent rates in group sexual offending."

Schubart said she viewed the apparent intersection between drugs and sexual exploitation as an especially important parallel with Britain.

"In the U.K. and in Germany, it’s a very similar pattern where it’s basically drug trafficking that also involves sex trafficking," she said. "These drug-trafficking networks and cells operate across the country, not just in those cities where we see the crimes playing out."

Britain has spent years reckoning with grooming scandals in places such as Rotherham, Rochdale, Telford and Oxford, England, where official reviews found that police, social workers and local authorities repeatedly missed or ignored evidence that vulnerable children were being systematically abused.

Baroness Louise Casey’s national audit, published by the British government in June 2025, concluded that inconsistent definitions, incomplete records and failures to collect ethnicity data made it impossible to establish the full national scale of group-based child sexual exploitation. It nevertheless found evidence of the disproportionate representation of Pakistani-heritage suspects in some local datasets and cases, while warning against extrapolating those findings to the entire country.

The British government later backed an independent inquiry intended to examine failures or obstruction by police, councils and other public bodies in relevant local areas.

Schubart argued that officials in both countries have sometimes avoided discussing offenders’ backgrounds out of concern that doing so could damage relations with minority communities.

"In the U.K., it’s usually the phrase ‘community relations,’" she said. "There’s a huge effort to not threaten community relations."

Germany’s ifo Institute reported in February 2025 that its analysis of district-level police data from 2018 through 2023 found no correlation between a rising foreign population and local crime rates, including in areas receiving more refugees.

"We find no correlation between an increasing share of foreigners in a district and the local crime rate," ifo researcher Jean-Victor Alipour said when the findings were released. "The same applies in particular to refugees." Researchers said differences in suspect rates can be influenced by age, sex, urban concentration and other demographic factors.

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Germany’s Syrian population also plays a significant role in sectors facing severe labor shortages.

The German Medical Association reported that 7,959 Syrian citizens were working as physicians in Germany at the end of 2025, making Syrians the country’s largest group of foreign doctors.

The competing evidence presents European governments with a difficult test: investigating organized exploitation and demographic patterns without political hesitation, while avoiding the suggestion that hundreds of suspects define millions of immigrants.

Brewers' ace Jacob Misiorowski is statistically untouchable as he faces Paul Skenes and the Pirates

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:48:48 -0400

There are some games that are so exciting, it doesn't matter if they mean anything or not. In baseball, you get 162 regular-season games, and some teams will only have three games to decide if they keep going or not when they get into the playoffs. Those games are all meaningful and exciting.

During the course of the season, though, there are few games that are must-watch. This game may ultimately not mean anything, but it does have a pitching matchup we have to watch.

The Milwaukee Brewers continue to do what they do. Each year, it seems like this "little engine that could" club will fall off the tracks, and each year, they continue to get better and dominate their division.

This year, they are already 25 games over .500 and have the second-best record in all of baseball. Whether it turns out to be enough and still works for them to make it with any success in the postseason is a different story, but they've positioned themselves to do it again, which is all you can ask for.

Part of the reason for their success is the phenomenon that takes the hill today. That man is Jacob Misiorowski, who is statistically the best pitcher in baseball this season. For the year, he is 10-4 (4th in the Majors), and he is the leader in ERA at 1.62, strikeouts at 167, and WHIP at 0.76. In two July starts, he has allowed four earned runs, including four homers. In 10 starts over May and June, he allowed four earned runs. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in a game this season. He did face the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this season and allowed three earned runs on six hits over six innings.

The Pirates are in the middle of a rebuild, and would benefit from learning how the Brewers get it done. To Pittsburgh's credit, they are 47-47 for the season and trying to find ways to win games. They invested in the club in the offseason, and it has paid off. Their offense is significantly better, but pitching does remain an issue. The team has a 4.32 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP as a whole.

Even today's starter, the reigning Cy Young, Paul Skenes, has struggled in comparison to what we normally see from him. For the season. Skenes is 7-8 with a 3.58 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. You know, a lot of pitchers would love to have those numbers, but it will easily be the highest of his young career. Skenes' season started on a sour note, and then he was great in April.

Since about the middle of May, though, he hasn't had a very clean start. He has allowed 30 earned runs in his past 10 games. Again, not terrible, but that is frustrating for him. He faced the Brewers earlier this year and beat them, going seven innings, allowing no runs and just one hit.

I'm sure this will be a hard game to live up to the hype, but I'm going to check it out simply because of the starting pitchers. Misiorowski is in an elite form, even if he struggled in his last outing. Skenes was unhittable the last time he faced the Brewers, and seems to pitch better in Pittsburgh than he does on the road.

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This is a game that I will not touch the total. If anything, I'd advise to take the over because eventually the bullpens could take over, but this also is a game that could be 0-0 going into the eighth inning. Look at player props for under on hits and anyone that is plus money, in my opinion, is a good play. Officially, I'm taking the Brewers. They are the better team, and Misiorowski really shouldn't be a reasonable price against any team right now, but he is. Give me Milwaukee.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024

Wimbledon final betting tips favor Jannik Sinner to sweep Alexander Zverev as top players meet on grass

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:47:11 -0400

I am yet again doing something I've never done before in an attempt to make us money. I was on a hot streak this past week, so maybe I shouldn't try to switch things up, but I'm going to do it anyway. We don't have World Cup soccer, so I'm going to try to place a bet on a different sport. That sport will be tennis, and we are jumping in on the last match of the premier event, Wimbledon.

If you don't watch tennis, that's not a problem; you don't have to. You can cash bets without watching matches. However, I do encourage you to take some time to watch this match between two of the best tennis players in the world.

On one side, we have Jannik Sinner, and on the other, Alexander Zverev. Sinner is the number one player in the world, and Zverev is second. Any time you get the top two options in any game or sport it is worth the investment in watching it.

Sinner comes into the match on an absolute roll. He dominated Wimbledon last year, and this year has been no different. He hasn't lost a set in, I believe, 17 straight sets. To provide a bit of context for those who don't know how matches and sets work, each set is made up of games. Each game is played to 15-30-40-win via points. If both players get 40-40, then one has to win two (potentially three) straight points to win. Once a player gets to six games, if they have a two-game or more advantage over their opponent, they win. If it is 6-6 for games, they play until someone gets the final game, and that person takes a set. To win a match, you need to win three sets.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV WINS 2026 FRENCH OPEN TO CAPTURE HIS FIRST GRAND SLAM TITLE AFTER YEARS OF NEAR-MISSES

To go back to my original point, Sinner obviously hasn't lost a match (or he wouldn't be here). He hasn't even lost a set in multiple matches. In the entire tournament, he has lost one set, and that was in the opening round of Wimbledon. He has won his past four sets and has only had one match this Wimbledon that had more than three sets. It went five, and I'm not quite sure why it went that far, considering he won four of the five.

Zverev had a harder time getting to this match, but he's done an admirable job of navigating his bracket as well. He also lost one set in his opening round match. That one did have a lot of games, going to 49 in the match. He settled down in the next match and dominated Valentin Royer, winning in three straight sets. He also made light work of Marcos Giron, only going to 31 games in that match. I was expecting a tougher match against Taylor Fritz, but Zverev won 6-4, 6-4, and 6-2. He only needed three sets to beat Arthur Fery in the Semi-Finals as well.

Head-to-head, Sinner is up 10-4 over Zverev. However, Zverev hasn't beaten him since 2023, when he beat him at the U.S. Open.

So, it is likely to be a very tough battle in this matchup as well. Sinner's record on grass is impressive, going 29-10 in his career with a 20-4 mark at Wimbledon. Sure, anything can happen, but Sinner will win this match.

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I'm going to bet on this championship in a few ways. I'll first take Sinner -2.5 sets, meaning he will win in straight sets, 3:0. I also am going to play under 39.5 in this. If he wins in straight sets, it will be a maximum of 39 games. I also think he probably sneaks a 6-4 win in there somewhere, so I think betting under 36.5 is worth a shot. Most of the rest of the betting market is very heavily favored for Sinner and I don't think there is a reason to take anything with Zverev.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024

World Cup superstar Ivana Knoll hops on the wrong bandwagon, Megan Moroney checks in & Conor McGregor is back

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:30:35 -0400

Selecting the right bandwagon to hop on isn't an easy process. Sometimes it requires punching numbers, sometimes it requires trusting your gut. With either approach, there aren't any guarantees.

In this Sunday edition of Screencaps, we take a look at a bandwagon selection that didn't work out. The bandwagon selection that World Cup superstar Ivana Knoll made.

She had already put in a valiant effort in support of Croatia. Unfortunately, her home country came up short and was bounced by Portugal in the Round of 32.

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Following Croatia's exit, Ivana had a decision to make. Would she take her balls, go home, and call it a World Cup? Would she show up for the love of the game anyway, or would she hop on a bandwagon?

She decided to hop on Norway's bandwagon.

Ivana got her hands on a bikini with their flag on it then announced that with their quarterfinal against England taking place in her city, that she would be heading out to Hard Rock Stadium to support them.

Another strong effort by Ivana Knoll, wasted by the team that she put her skimpy outfit behind. Norway lost to England 2-1 on Saturday.

Will she search for another bandwagon? Will she call it a World Cup from the standpoint of throwing her support behind a team? Time will tell?

Conor McGregor is back

Speaking of the unknown, is UFC 329 the last time we see Conor McGregor in the octagon? His return after five years ended the same way his last fight in 2021 ended, with him suffering a leg injury and being unable to continue.

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Speculation about whether he was injured before the fight started almost immediately after he appeared to blow his right knee out on a wild flying kick to start what would end up being a TKO loss to Max Holloway.

The UFC did all it could to shut that down. They even released footage of McGregor during warm-ups attempting the exact move he ended up injuring himself on at the start of the fight.

It appears that the move was part of his plan of attack. It failed miserably. He found out that at 37, almost 38, that his knees can't handle a miscalculated landing. Age catches up to everyone.

The return of Conor McGregor getting injured in the octagon didn’t mean the entire was a waste. The co-main event delivered.

The lights weren't too bright for Paddy Pimblett.

Sophie Cunningham made her debut as an octagon girl, then he choked Benoit Saint-Denis out within the first minute of action. Both were well executed.

Fireworks

- Mark from N.C. writes:

I’ll have to 100% disagree with you on the "suburban heroes" when it comes to fireworks. Aside from disturbing sleep, the main issue is doing it in neighborhoods with pets…..it's simply animal cruelty. Aside from my annual tirade against fireworks causing at least one death, multiple people losing fingers and or hands, many structural fires, and the harm it does to not only pets but animals in general, I just don’t see momentary "oohs and aahhhs" worth that sacrifice. Something organized in an open area not near any homes or wooded areas is OK if you have to do it. And no, this doesn’t make me a Karen or Ken or anti-American (I’m just the opposite), just a lover of pets (specifically dogs) who suffer as a result. And I didn’t even mention those with PTSD.

SeanJo

Mark, I made the suburban heroes remark partially as a joke and partially because I knew there would be fireworks complainers out there. Best of luck fighting the fight against July 4th fireworks.

MEAT!

- Dennis writes:

Misses asked for ribs to celebrate America, so baby backs coated with yellow mustard, Treager pork & poultry rub, Treager bbq sauce, finished with mango margarita because we had no apple juice to keep them moist. Another successful smoke of 5 hours, tasty, tender, wife loved it.

- Steven writes:

For the 4th

smoked a TEXAS brisket, 17lbs, and then 2 beer can chickens. We drove the Jeep collection in the local Independence Day Parade as well. Freedom 250 Baby!!

Rats and dogs

- Jim T in San Diego sends:

Tuna Steaks

- Guy writes:

I’m terrible at photographing my grills. Here is tuna from the other night.

175 chicken halves on the pit Saturday, and I’ll be sure to send some over.

Full chicken cook today. 126 halves, 15lbs of potatoes, 12lbs of mac&cheese…Enough to feed about 200 people. Great day!!

Filet on the Grill

- Gen X Warren M writes:

Hey SeanJo,

Great work as always on Sunday Screencaps! Finally grilled after the last time saw a rat jump out when I opened the lid a few weeks ago! That was a new one, but we do live next to a swamp (preserve), so critters are around. Off topic: I run frequently on the gravel trail in the swamp. Been seeing a lot of white tail deer and the occasional gator, bobcat, hog, and even a coyote a few weeks ago! Looked like it was trying to get whatever a hog was eating.

Grilled two big filet, but too lazy to make a side dish, so I nuked up a frozen veggie from Birdeye.

Take care!

SeanJo

What a week for meat. Whether you're tossing on a hundred-plus chicken halves or what I assume was supposed to be "brats and dogs," I want to see it. Send your meat.

It can be simple, it can be over-the-top, we're not here to judge. We're here to enjoy each other's meat.

##########

That's all for this week. Enjoy what's left of the weekend. Toss some meat on the grill and send it my way.

The inbox is always open, sean.joseph@outkick.com. You can also follow me on Twitter and over on Instagram and slide into the DMs over there.

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Ex-WWE and AEW star Jake Hager gets knocked out in Power Slap matchup

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:12:12 -0400

Jake Hager, a former WWE champion and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star, took a second turn in the Power Slap arena on Friday night.

Hager was going slap-for-slap against Amanpreet Singh. The former sport shooter lined up his right hand against Hager. He slapped him with full force and Hager fell backward to the officials and was knocked out.

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The final slap occurred in the third round. Hager ate two meaty slaps prior to Singh’s final shot. Hager was stunned on the ground as Singh ripped off his shirt in celebration. Hager didn’t immediately respond to the knockout defeat.

It was the first Power Slap loss for Hager since he made his debut in April. He defeated Devin Jenkins in a third-round knockout before going up against Singh.

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Hager announced he was going to take a chance at Power Slap in March.

He came into the company with a background in amateur wrestling and mixed martial arts. He set a single-season record for the most pins in the 285-pound weight class with the Oklahoma Sooners. He also had four bouts with Bellator, going 3-0 with the company with one no contest.

Hager was in professional wrestling from 2006 to 2025. He appeared in WWE, Lucha Underground, Major League Wrestling and AEW over the years.

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He held WWE’s World Heavyweight Championship, ECW Championship, United States Championship and won the Money in the Bank ladder match during his time there. He was a part of Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle with AEW.

Netanyahu details 'final' conversation with Lindsey Graham, says senator challenged his push to end Israel aid

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:10:53 -0400

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recalled one of his final conversations with late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday, saying the longtime senator pushed back when Netanyahu proposed eventually ending U.S. military aid to Israel.

"Because he was so concerned with our security, which he believed was your [America's] security, that he actually fought the prime minister of Israel on keeping America's aid or actually increasing it, and that tells you what kind of a person this extraordinary, extraordinary friend was," Netanyahu recalled on "Fox & Friends Weekend."

The South Carolina Republican dominated headlines Sunday after passing away from a "brief and sudden illness." His unwavering support for allies like Israel and Ukraine remained central to conversations surrounding his impact.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM DEAD AT 71 AFTER 'BRIEF AND SUDDEN' ILLNESS, OFFICE SAYS

As Netanyahu recounted his "last" conversation with Graham, he said he assured the longtime Trump ally that Israel had "come of age" with a "robust economy" and the ability to be self-sufficient, but Graham refused to budge.

"[I told him] we can take care of our own — financing our own weapons for the defense of Israel and defense of our common interests with America, so I'm going to phase out… the military support for Israel over a period of years and bring it down to zero. We can do it,'" Netanyahu said.

"He [Graham] went ballistic. He said, 'No way, you can't do that.'"

EX-COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL JOE KENT ENDORSES GOP SENATE PRIMARY CHALLENGER AS TRUMP BACKS LINDSEY GRAHAM

Netanyahu fondly reflected on Graham's personality, from his keen sense of humor to his "clear and so pointed" manner in more serious times. He described his encounters with Graham as "encouraging," adding that he will "miss him terribly."

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"I'm not going to compare him to some others, because there are other people who also share this view, and I think many Americans do, because, look, ultimately, this is a tough world. It's a cruel world. It is changing rapidly. There are many challenges to America's leadership in the world, which I think has to be maintained, because without America — I think there would be no liberty in the world, and we'd have a dark age returning and descending on us," he said.

"Lindsey Graham understood it perfectly."

Who wants their child to be a millionaire? Trump has given you that chance

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:00:51 -0400

Trump Accounts officially launched on July 4, and they could become one of the most important wealth-building tools created for American families in a generation.

For parents, grandparents and guardians who worry that their children will inherit a future of high housing costs, mounting debt and fewer opportunities, Trump Accounts offer something refreshingly practical: a way to begin building wealth for children from the very start of life.

Trump Accounts are new tax-advantaged investment accounts for children in the United States. They are designed for long-term savings, especially retirement, rather than short-term spending. Eligible children born from 2025 through 2028 can receive a one-time $1,000 contribution from the U.S. Treasury Department after an account is opened. Families can then contribute up to $5,000 per year, with the money invested in U.S. stock funds and allowed to grow tax-deferred.

DEMOCRATIC MARYLAND GOV WES MOORE PRAISES TRUMP ACCOUNTS AS ‘SMART POLICY’

Importantly, Trump Accounts are not limited to parents alone. Employers can contribute up to $2,500 per worker each year, which counts toward the $5,000 annual limit. Qualifying charities, philanthropists, and state and local governments can also make contributions under specified circumstances, and those contributions do not count toward the $5,000 limit.

If properly and widely used, Trump Accounts could become a national wealth-building platform supported by parents, grandparents, businesses, charities and local communities.

Trump Accounts are available for children aged 18 or younger. Parents, legal guardians, grandparents, adult siblings and other authorized individuals can open an account for a child, provided the child is a U.S. citizen with a work-authorized Social Security number. The funds generally cannot be withdrawn before age 18. At that point, the account converts into a traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA), subject to the usual IRA rules.

'THE VIEW' CO-HOST SUNNY HOSTIN PRAISES TRUMP FOR 'GOOD POLICIES' ON FERTILITY CARE AND CHILD SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

The real power of Trump Accounts is time. Suppose a family contributes the maximum $5,000 per year for 18 years and earns an average annual return of 7%, which is well within historical norms. Using a conservative assumption that each contribution is made at the end of the year, the account would grow to about $170,000 by the time the child reaches adulthood. If contributions are made earlier in each year, the total would be even higher.

For many families, that alone would be life-changing. A young adult with roughly $170,000 in long-term retirement savings begins adulthood in a radically different position from someone starting from zero, especially since some of the funds can be used without paying a penalty to pay for college or for a down payment on a home.

However, the most powerful benefit comes later. Imagine the same child receives $5,000 per year from birth through age 18. Then, after becoming an adult, that child contributes just $1,000 per year on average until age 65, an extremely conservative contribution amount. Assuming the same 7% average annual return, that account would grow to more than $4 million by retirement.

That is the magic of compound growth. If you start early, save consistently and allow time to do what time does best, almost any child could become a millionaire.

Of course, not every family can put away $5,000 every year. Many families will not come close. But if employers, nonprofits, philanthropists, churches, local charities and state governments choose to help children fund these accounts, the benefits could extend to far more families than they otherwise would.

That is one of the most promising features of the program. It creates a structure for private generosity and community investment. Instead of relying solely on another government bureaucracy, Trump Accounts make it easier for families and civil society to work together to help children build assets over time.

Of course, investment returns are never guaranteed. Markets can be volatile. Families should understand the risks before putting money into any investment account. But over long periods, broad exposure to American businesses has historically been one of the most reliable ways for ordinary people to build wealth.

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For decades, policymakers have talked endlessly about expanding government programs to help reduce wealth inequality and improve opportunities for the middle class. Many of these proposed solutions have involved bigger bureaucracies, more complicated programs and more dependency on government. Trump Accounts offer something much better, because they help families build significant wealth and ownership for their children.

Ownership changes how people see the world. A child with a growing investment account is connected to the success of American companies, workers, entrepreneurs and innovators. Instead of watching wealth creation from the sidelines, that child participates in it. And instead of thinking capitalism is only for the wealthy, it helps children see that everyone can benefit from free markets.

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The launch of Trump Accounts gives parents, grandparents, employers and charities a rare opportunity. With early contributions, steady saving and patience, they can help turn a modest annual investment into life-changing wealth.

For millions of American children, that could mean more than another account. It could mean a better future.

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The best time to talk to your parents about senior care — before it's too late

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:00:26 -0400

Most families wait to talk about senior care until an emergency hits, but experts say having those discussions early can lead to better outcomes and less conflict.

Tatyana Zlotsky, CEO of A Place for Mom in New York City, said 77% of the families she works with tell her they wish they’d acted sooner.

Planning before a crisis gives families more time to compare care options, understand costs and honor an older adult's wishes instead of making rushed decisions, the expert advised.

DR OZ WARNS MEDICARE SCAMMERS ARE STEALING BILLIONS — AND YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION COULD BE NEXT

"If you think about this being an extremely stressful, financially burdensome decision already, doing it under the duress of a medical emergency makes it 10 times worse," she told Fox News Digital. "And yet most families are still not taking action."

Family caregivers lose an average of $21,000 per year as they cut back on work to care for aging relatives, she noted.

KATIE COURIC COULDN'T REMEMBER THE YEAR OR THE PRESIDENT DURING FRIGHTENING BRAIN EPISODE

Families generally tend to procrastinate because they suffer from caregiver burnout, according to Zlotsky, who specializes in providing support services and digital tools for finding local senior housing options.

"They're already dealing with so much, it's nearly impossible for them to predict the situation sooner," she added.

"It's a reconfiguration of a parent-child relationship... the parent wants to maintain their independence... the child becomes the one providing the care," Zlotsky went on. "And so the senior resists this at all costs... and the adult child is not sure how to have the conversation."

The discussion shouldn't wait until a fall, hospitalization or other medical emergency, according to the expert.

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Warning signs to watch for

Zlotsky emphasized that cognitive decline often begins with subtle changes in executive functioning — not always dramatic memory loss. Adult children should pay attention to these signs during routine visits, as they may signal that it's time to talk about future care plans.

These may include, but are not limited to, any of the following, according to the expert.

Spoiled or expired food accumulating in the refrigerator
Bills or paperwork piling up that were once handled routinely
Frequently misplaced keys, phones or other everyday items
Difficulty recalling recent conversations or events
Changes in the ability to complete familiar multistep tasks, such as making coffee

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"Maybe Mom has made the same pot of coffee for the last 20 years," Zlotsky said as an example. "Now all of a sudden she doesn't drink coffee anymore... the truth might be that it takes five steps to fill the coffee maker... and her executive functioning skills are failing her."

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She encourages family members to look for those signs earlier, and to seek guidance from a professional.

"You can't be required as a caregiver to diagnose Mom or Dad," she said. "You really have to be able to get consultation."

When having the conversation, Zlotsky emphasized the importance of listening to the older adult’s preferences.

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"Your parents do have opinions on how they want to be taken care of, and what that looks like and who does it," she said. "It's really about having the courage to start that conversation and engaging in it."

"If you can break through that ice and really get to the core of what they need and want, it can make the financial and emotional journey much easier."

'America and the world have lost a determined leader': Tributes pour in after Sen Lindsey Graham's death

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:54:53 -0400

Tributes poured in Sunday from President Donald Trump, congressional leaders and foreign allies after Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died at 71 following what his office described as a "brief and sudden illness," bringing to an end the career of one of the Senate's most influential Republican voices.

The South Carolina Republican had served in the Senate since 2003 and became one of the GOP's leading voices on national security and foreign policy. Once a sharp critic of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, Graham later emerged as one of the president's closest allies while maintaining a prominent role on issues ranging from judicial confirmations to Ukraine, Israel and Iran.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Graham "was always working," and called the Palmetto State senator "a true American Patriot."

"Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!" Trump wrote. "So sad!"

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM DEAD AT 71 AFTER 'BRIEF AND SUDDEN' ILLNESS, OFFICE SAYS

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster called Graham "irreplaceable" and the "fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America." Per South Carolina law, McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement for Graham, who was seeking a fifth term in November.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said his "heart is heavy" following Graham's death, calling him a trusted advisor whose influence "on the federal judiciary, our national defense, and his beloved South Carolina will be felt for generations."

Thune praised Graham as a tireless advocate for the United States and its allies, saying he believed in "the might of America to achieve good in the world" and spent his career advancing that cause.

Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, remembered Graham not only as a senator, but as a fellow military officer. Waltz said he first met Graham when he was serving as a colonel in the Air National Guard, recalling that Graham spent his annual training deployments in Afghanistan helping train Afghan Army Judge Advocate General officers.

Waltz also praised Graham's commitment to the U.S. military and foreign policy, saying no member of Congress traveled more extensively "from Libya to Lebanon" to meet with American troops and bring "ground truth back to legislating."

"Rest easy, Patriot," he wrote on X.

Graham's death also prompted tributes from across the aisle. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., remembered his Republican colleague as "kind, gracious, and thoughtful," and an expert on foreign policy.

"Sudden and awful news about Senator Lindsey Graham," Fetterman wrote. "The United States Senate lost a foreign policy giant."

The outpouring of tributes quickly spread beyond Washington, with world leaders remembering Graham as one of America's most influential voices on national security and foreign affairs.

CHAD PERGRAM BREAKS DOWN WHAT'S NEXT FOR GOP AFTER GRAHAM'S DEATH

In one of his final overseas trips, Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week. The visit marked his 10th trip to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, where the two, according to readouts of the meeting, discussed tougher sanctions on Russia and the country's air defense needs.

After Graham's death, Zelenskyy posted on X, calling him "a true defender of freedom" who stood with Ukraine "when it was most needed." He said Graham's bipartisan work to increase pressure on Moscow helped bring "peace closer," adding, "America and the world have lost a determined leader."

Other European leaders echoed those sentiments.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte described Graham as "a powerful advocate for America who believed strongly in the NATO Alliance and was actively working to bring an end to Russia's war against Ukraine." Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg praised his "tireless commitment" to NATO and the trans-Atlantic bond, as well as his "staunch support" for Ukraine.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Graham was "a true friend and partner of Germany in the transatlantic alliance. We stood side by side for more than four decades."

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The tributes extended to the Middle East as well, where Graham was remembered as one of Israel's strongest allies in Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him "a great friend of Israel" and "a cherished friend of mine," saying Graham understood that the security of Israel and the United States "is inseparable" and devoted his life to strengthening the alliance between the two countries.

"Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend," Netanyahu said.

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Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren told The Associated Press that Graham's death leaves Congress without one of its most steadfast pro-Israel voices at a particularly precarious moment.

"You have a few Democrats and Republicans willing to stand up in Israel’s defense, but those type of people are few, it’s not a body of people," he said. "So when you lose someone like Lindsey Graham, it’s a diplomatic and strategic loss for the state of Israel."

Sophie Cunningham kicks off her shoes and walks the Octagon at UFC 329 as a surprise ring girl

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:37:46 -0400

Sophie Cunningham made the most of her night off in Las Vegas.

The Indiana Fever guard made a surprise appearance as an Octagon girl at UFC 329 on Saturday night, just hours before she was due back at her real job against the Las Vegas Aces.

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Cunningham was already sitting ringside at T-Mobile Arena when she apparently decided watching the fights wasn’t enough.

Before the co-main event between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis, the 6-foot-1 WNBA star grabbed the Round 1 card, kicked off her shoes and took a lap around the Octagon in a black tank top and shorts.

She also broke out the pointing gesture that has become one of the biggest memes of the year.

According to UFC CEO Dana White, the whole thing came together about eight minutes before Cunningham walked out.

WWE HALL OF FAMER NIKKI BELLA CHALLENGES WNBA STARS CAITLIN CLARK AND SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM TO A MATCH

"We’ve created a relationship, and she was here tonight," White told reporters after the event. "When she walked in, she goes, ‘Oh, I wanna walk around that.’ I said, ‘Then you’re gonna walk around it.’"

And that was that. Sophie Cunningham was a UFC ring girl.

She only got one lap, though. Pimblett choked Saint Denis unconscious in less than a minute, ending the fight in the first round.

Cunningham still seemed to enjoy her brief career change, laughing, posing for cameras and pointing toward celebrity row.

"I love Sophie Cunningham," White said. "Yeah, she’s fun."

Clearly.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Cunningham has become one of the WNBA’s most recognizable players, thanks largely to her role as Caitlin Clark’s enforcer.

Her finger-pointing confrontation with DeWanna Bonner became one of the memes of the year. Her Adidas Crazy Energy player-exclusive shoe comes out July 24. And now she can add UFC ring girl to her résumé.

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Sophie Cunningham is on top of the world.

Google may use your photos and voice to train AI

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:24:37 -0400

There are few emails that make your stomach drop faster than one about "new privacy settings." That usually means a company has moved another data switch, renamed a control or tucked a new choice inside an account menu you rarely visit. Google is now rolling out one of those changes for Search services. The setting is called Search Services History. It controls whether Google saves your activity from Search services when you are signed into your Google Account.

That may sound routine at first. Most of us already know Google can save search history. However, this update goes beyond the old idea of typed searches in a box. Google says Search Services History can include images you upload, files you ask about, voice searches, Search Live recordings, Translate speaking practice audio and other interactions with Search services.

The part that should make you pause is the Save Media setting. When it is turned on, Google can save media from your Search services interactions. That saved media may be used to improve Google’s AI models and technologies. In other words, the random photo you searched with Google Lens or the voice recording you used in a Search feature may help improve Google’s AI.

GOOGLE TURNS OLD PHONES INTO CLOUD SERVERS

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What Google’s Search Services History can save

Google says Search Services History may include your searches, results you view, AI Mode responses, voice search recordings, Search Live transcripts, Google Lens images, uploaded files and some information tied to your activity.

Maybe you used Google Lens to identify a plant. Perhaps you uploaded an image to search for a product. You might have used Translate to practice before a trip. Or maybe you asked a question by voice because your hands were full. All of that can feel harmless in the moment. Still, the bigger issue is where that data can go after it is saved.

Google says saved media may help you revisit past visual searches or continue a Search Live conversation. That can be useful. However, Google also says saved media may help develop and improve AI models and technologies. That is the trade-off. You may get more personalized features. Google may get more personal inputs from the tools you already use.

CHRIS HANSEN URGES PARENTS TO TEACH CHILDREN ABOUT ONLINE PREDATORS BEFORE ALLOWING INTERNET ACCESS

Why this Google AI setting deserves your attention

This is the kind of privacy change that can slide right past you. The language sounds helpful. The setting lives inside account controls. The rollout happens gradually, so you may not see it right away. That is exactly why you should check.

Google says the new settings are based on your prior choices for Web & App Activity and Search Personalization. If those were on, the new Search Services History setting may also be on. If your prior settings were off, the new one should be off too. That sounds fair enough, but it still puts the work on you.

Also, turning off Save Media does not automatically wipe everything that was already saved. Google says previously saved media may continue to be used to improve its technologies unless you delete it from your account. If saved media has already been selected to train AI models, Google says it is no longer connected to your account and may be kept for up to four years.

That is the part I would not ignore. Once your media moves into that AI-training pipeline, deleting the original activity may not pull it back.

How to opt out of Google’s Search AI data training setting

You can check this from a phone or computer, but I recommend using a computer if you can. The account settings are easier to read.

Open a browser and go to myactivity.google.com.
Make sure you are signed into the account you use for Search, Gmail, YouTube or Android. If you have more than one Google Account, repeat these steps for each one.
Look for the Search Services History section. If you do not see it yet, Google says the new settings are still rolling out. In that case, your Search history may still be controlled by Web & App Activity.
If Search Services History is turned on, you should see a Save Media subsetting.
Uncheck the box next to Save Media if you do not want Google saving media from your Search services interactions.
If you want to go further, turn Search Services History off. Google says you can choose Turn off or Turn off and delete activity.
To remove older items, go back to Search Services History and select View and delete saved history. Review what appears there, then delete activity you do not want saved.
If Search Services History has not reached your account yet, go to My Activity and review Web & App Activity. That may still control some Search services history until the rollout reaches you.
Google also has a Personalized Recommendations setting for Search services. This can affect how Search services personalize results, feeds and AI responses based on your activity. You can review it in your Google Account under Data & privacy, then Personalization settings.

What happens after you turn Save Media off

Turning off Save Media stops Google from saving media from future Search services interactions as part of Search Services History. However, it does not shut down every kind of Search history. Text-based activity, transcripts and some AI responses may still be saved if Search Services History remains on.

Also, Google says media from your future interactions can still be used to respond to you and help keep services safe. The key difference is that future media should not be used to train Google’s generative AI models unless you provide feedback. That is a meaningful distinction, but it isn’t the same as using Google with no data collection at all.

You should also know that Save Media does not control everything across Google. It does not cover separate activity settings for Gemini Apps, YouTube, NotebookLM or Google Voice. Those services have their own controls.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Google’s new Search Services History setting is worth checking now, especially if you use Lens, voice search, Translate or AI Mode. The Save Media box is the one I would look for first. If you do not want your images, files, audio or video saved for future AI improvement, turn it off. Then go one step further and review old activity. Turning off a setting usually protects future data, but past items may still sit in your account unless you delete them. Finally, repeat the process for every Google Account you use. Many of us have a personal account, a work account or an old account still signed in somewhere.

Would you keep using Google Lens the same way if you knew your image searches could help train AI for years? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Conor McGregor reacts to disastrous UFC return: 'My head gasket is gone'

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:16:11 -0400

All the hype and pageantry of an impending Conor McGregor return to the UFC Octagon on Saturday night blew up in smoke within seconds.

McGregor stepped into the cage against Max Holloway at UFC 329. He came across the mat with a flying left roundhouse kick and landed awkwardly on his right knee. He tried another kick and slipped to the ground. He tried to power through it, but nearly two minutes into the fight, he grabbed at his right leg again and referee Mike Beltran called the fight.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"My head gasket is gone," he wrote on social media. "Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere.

"I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell."

TRUMP'S BOLD PREDICTION FOR HISTORIC UFC WHITE HOUSE FIGHT REVEALED IN NEW FOX NATION DOCUMENTARY

UFC president Dana White said there were no signs of a pre-existing injury going into the weigh-ins on Friday.

"Five years off in this sport is rough," White said. "We’re assuming a blown ACL. That’s what I assumed when I saw it, and that’s what the doctors think, too."

Holloway said he kept telling Beltran to stop the fight because McGregor was injured but the Irishman kept saying, "Fight!"

"During the fight, you could see his demeanor change," Holloway said. "When I saw him hurt, I said, ‘Call this, he’s hurt.' I just hope for a speedy recovery."

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McGregor was participating in his first bout since July 2021 when he lost to Dustin Poirier due to a devastating leg injury. He’s only won one fight since 2020.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NYC to move 110 single homeless men to quiet Brooklyn neighborhood, leaving locals worried: report

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:09:12 -0400

New York City is set to move 110 single homeless men into a Brooklyn shelter without conducting criminal background checks, according to a new report, sparking outrage among residents who fear the change will bring more crime to their quiet neighborhood.

The former Gold Star Inn in Sheepshead Bay, which has operated as a family shelter for roughly a year, is expected to begin housing single adult men as early as next week after the city's Department of Homeless Services decided to relocate the 55 families currently living there, the New York Post first reported.

The move has alarmed nearby residents, who told the Post they have already seen an uptick in crime since the shelter opened and worry the transition to housing single men will exacerbate those problems.

MAMDANI WALKS BACK PLAN TO INCREASE NYPD HEADCOUNT FOLLOWING DSA PRESSURE

"People are breaking into cars, people are destroying the park, taking their pants down in the park," Fahad, a 30-year-old plumber from nearby Brighton Beach, told the outlet. "It used to be very quiet."

According to NYPD data, shooting incidents in the 61st Precinct, which includes Sheepshead Bay, have risen to five so far this year, a 400% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Reports of rape have doubled from eight to 16, while retail theft has risen 10%.

Overall crime in the area dropped about 7% so far this year compared to the same period in 2025, according to the NYPD data.

Residents have also expressed concern that city officials will not conduct criminal background checks on incoming shelter residents.

"The Department of Homeless Services confirmed that no criminal background vetting will take place, leaving room for potential sex offenders and convicted felons to come in contact with our children," Republican City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov wrote in a letter to the city's Department of Social Services (DSS) last week.

Vernikov argued the conversion would be "devastating" for the surrounding community, citing concerns about loitering, drug activity and crime near the shelter, which sits across the street from Lew Fidler Park, a popular neighborhood playground.

MANDANI DEFENDS CONTROVERSIAL NYC MAP AFTER OMITTING ICONIC LITTLE ITALY, JEWISH AND IRISH NEIGHBORHOODS

Ginny, a resident who declined to give her last name, told the Post that "not checking the background is not very diligent of the city."

"How can [they] say they are protecting children when they allow that? There are also elderly people who can be targets," she said.

Another neighbor, Olga Adynets, said someone recently released from prison is already staying at the shelter.

"I don't want it to get worse. I'm worried," she said.

The shelter is operated by BHRAGS, a nonprofit that has faced federal scrutiny after its former executive director, Roberto Samedy, and former board chairman, Jean Ronald Tirelus, were indicted earlier this year on charges including wire fraud, embezzlement and accepting illicit payments.

Despite the investigation, Mayor Zohran Mamdani awarded the organization nearly $200 million in new city contracts in June, according to the Post.

City officials told the outlet the shelter conversion reflects changing demand, with fewer families entering the shelter system and more single adult men requiring housing. Officials also said BHRAGS is under new leadership after the city reduced the nonprofit's shelter portfolio.

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"The agency continues to address the prevalent stigma against single adult men experiencing homelessness," a DSS spokesperson told The Post. "The agency also implements good neighbor policies while maintaining open lines of communication with the community to address any concerns as they arise."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor’s office and DSS for comment.

Christian family takes fight to DC embassy after government seizes daughters over 'religious extremism'

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:35 -0400

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Christian parents whose two daughters were seized by the Swedish government more than three years ago brought their custody battle to Washington, D.C., on Friday.

A crowd of Romanian Americans gathered outside the Swedish Embassy in Washington on Friday morning to show their support for Daniel and Bianca Samson, Christian parents who have been separated from their daughters, Sara and Tiana, since December 2022.

The years-long battle began after Sara, then 11, made a false abuse allegation against her parents, stemming from an argument over not being allowed to wear makeup or have a smartphone. Despite Sara quickly admitting she had lied, Swedish social services removed the girls from the home.

BRAZIL PARENTS FACE PRISON SENTENCE FOR HOMESCHOOLING AFTER COURT ACCUSES THEM OF 'INTELLECTUAL NEGLECT'

Prosecutors found no evidence of abuse, but the state refused to return the girls, citing the family’s habit of attending church three times a week and media choices as evidence of "religious extremism."

In court, Daniel Samson said officials labeled the parents "religious extremists" to justify their separation. He said lawyers used their parenting choices against them, such as the girls not being allowed to paint their nails, the lack of a television in the home and the reading of Bible stories, which he said authorities called "violent."

The case has drawn international outrage and support from the Romanian government. Romanian Sen. Titus Corlatean and Chicago Pastor Cristian Ionescu traveled to speak at the D.C. rally, which coincides with similar demonstrations planned this week in Brisbane, Stockholm, London and Copenhagen.

Ionescu, the senior pastor of Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and president of the Romanian Pentecostal Churches' Union in the United States, told Fox News Digital he hopes the same sort of government overreach won't come to the U.S. But after fleeing communism in Romania 40 years ago, he says he's alarmed by the rise of socialism in political races across the country.

"I see a surge of socialist and communist politicians and this is always associated with a totalitarian society," Ionescu said. "In Romania, they didn't confiscate the children from the families, but they were trying to educate them in a worldview and in a system contrary to Christian values, and parents that did not cooperate were persecuted."

"I hope I will never see this in America," he continued. "This is why I left Romania almost 40 years ago. America used to be a cradle of true civilization, Christianity. Now it's changing and not for the better, but I hope we will still hold the front line."

JAILED CATHOLIC WOMAN'S HUNGER STRIKE HIGHLIGHTS IRAN RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION — US DEMANDS ACTION

In June, the Romanian Senate unanimously approved a declaration demanding Sweden immediately return the Samson girls to their family. Romanian Sen. Corlatean, who raised the proposal, said Sweden has ignored their demands.

"There was no reciprocity in this relationship, no positive answer. It was a simulation of cooperation," Corlatean told Fox News Digital.

He said the girls are Romanian citizens and accused Sweden of violating the two nations' diplomatic relationship as well as international law.

"They are not Swedish citizens, so Sweden is keeping [the girls] abusively in their custody against the will of the state of citizenship of our own citizens," he added.

The separation has taken a severe toll on the children. Samson said both girls have attempted suicide six or seven times while in state custody, and his eldest daughter has since been placed in an adult psychiatric facility.

"It's horrible, and it's a desperate situation," Corlatean added. "The girls are asking all the time to be given back to their parents and to Romania, and the social services are lying constantly saying the daughters are refusing to go back to their parents."

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Since taking their story public, Daniel Samson says the Swedish government has entirely barred the family from seeing the girls and expressed intent to change their names — a move he fears is a precursor to forced adoption.

Over the past three years, Samson said his family has lost 14 times in Swedish courts. In March, the Samsons lost their final appeal to regain custody, after the European Court of Human Rights ruled their case inadmissible.

Corlatean hopes the U.S. will lend their support and show "solidarity" for the Romanian family, citing the two nations' "shared Christian values."

He added that there is precedent for the U.S. helping in cases like this, citing the 2015 case of the Bodnarius, a Christian Romanian Norwegian couple whose five children, including a nursing baby, were placed in foster care by Norway for seven months on allegations they spanked their children.

"There were a number of congressmen, members of the Senate, and also through the State Department that signing letters, [asking] questions and putting pressure on the Norwegian case at the time," Corlatean explained. "It was very helpful. So there is already a precedent of good cooperation."

Swedish social services previously told Fox News Digital it could not comment on individual cases and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Swedish Embassy said it cannot comment on or intervene in individual cases.

"Sweden greatly values its excellent relations with Romania, including as NATO Allies and EU Member States," the embassy said.

"In Sweden, everyone has the same constitutional rights and freedoms, regardless of ‘race, skin colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status’ as is stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," it continued.

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"Swedish social services employ social workers with specialized knowledge about children’s needs," the embassy added. "The social welfare committee in the municipality where the child resides is responsible for ensuring that children grow up in a safe environment."

JonBenet Ramsey mystery reignited by lab scandal that adds pressure to unleash DNA help dad is ‘begging’ for

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:34 -0400

A disgraced Colorado DNA analyst's guilty plea is putting JonBenét Ramsey's murder back in the spotlight, as her father renews his push for cutting-edge DNA testing that he believes could finally solve the case.

John Ramsey told Fox News Digital he has long understood former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic analyst Yvonne "Missy" Woods had no involvement in his daughter's case because the earliest DNA testing was performed by an independent laboratory.

"I believe an outside private lab (Bode Labs in Virginia) did the first evidence testing and reported in January 1997 that they found unidentified male DNA in JonBenét's underwear," Ramsey said.

JONBENET RAMSEY'S DAD PRESSES FOR NEW LAW IN DECADES-LONG HUNT FOR DAUGHTER’S KILLER

But despite the fallout from the sweeping DNA scandal, Boulder authorities say the evidence in JonBenét Ramsey's murder investigation was not affected.

"The Boulder Police Department does not believe the actions of Missy Woods have had any effect on the JonBenét Ramsey case after a review of all the records by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation," a Boulder Police Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

"Because this is an active homicide investigation, we are unable to answer any specific questions regarding the investigation at this time," the statement continued.

JONBENET RAMSEY CRIME SCENE DNA COULD BE IDED IN HOURS, COLD CASE RESEARCHER SAYS AS FAMILY PUSHES FOR ANSWERS

The Boulder County District Attorney's Office reached the same conclusion, telling Fox News Digital that CBI's review determined Woods' criminal conduct "will not have an impact on the evidence in the JonBenét Ramsey investigation."

A spokesperson for the district attorney's office also told Fox News Digital the investigation remains active, with the team working the case meeting as recently as last month.

The DA's office said investigators also met with the Ramsey family several months ago, plan to continue providing updates and are reviewing evidence to ensure the investigation benefits from the latest advances in forensic science.

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"There is a strong push to ensure that all items of evidence have been reviewed for appropriate forensic testing in various disciplines, and most notably to ensure DNA testing has kept pace with advancements in DNA testing methodologies," the spokesperson said. "Additionally, the federal, state and local agencies involved remain steadfast in their diligence to explore all advanced DNA testing capabilities from outside independent labs, while ensuring the efficacy and validation support for those evolving testing methodologies."

The comments mark one of the clearest acknowledgments to date that investigators are evaluating advanced DNA testing through outside independent laboratories, an approach Ramsey has advocated for more than a year.

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The renewed attention comes after Woods pleaded guilty June 23 to cybercrime, first-degree perjury, attempting to influence a public servant and forgery for criminal conduct committed between 2008 and 2023 while working as a forensic laboratory scientist for CBI. Woods worked for the agency from 1994 until 2023.

According to prosecutors, Woods altered and deleted data related to critical portions of the laboratory's DNA quality control process. Under the plea agreement, she faces a mandatory prison sentence of eight to 16 years after prosecutors consolidated more than 100 original felony charges into four felony convictions. She is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 8.

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Although Ramsey said Woods' misconduct did not affect the evidence in his daughter's case, he believes the controversy reinforces the need for outside laboratories to handle advanced DNA analysis.

Ramsey said he also continues to question why some evidence collected from the crime scene was never tested.

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"We did know that a number of items from the crime scene were sent in for testing, and a number were not tested," Ramsey told Fox News Digital. "We always kind of wondered why. I mean, items that should have been sampled, but they weren't."

Ramsey said subsequent rounds of DNA testing identified the same unknown male DNA profile on additional pieces of evidence, reinforcing his belief that investigators already possess the DNA needed to identify his daughter's killer.

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"Bottom line is we have the killer's DNA and FGG is the new tool which could give us the killer's name if the police would only use it," Ramsey said, referring to forensic genetic genealogy.

Ramsey said the work should be conducted by one of the specialized private laboratories with expertise in forensic genetic genealogy because, in his view, local law enforcement agencies do not have the technology or personnel to perform that type of analysis themselves.

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"We have been begging the police to work with one of these labs, but we don't know if they will do it," he said.

The district attorney's office said authorities are actively exploring advanced DNA testing capabilities through outside independent laboratories as the investigation continues.

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JonBenét Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's Boulder, Colorado, home on Dec. 26, 1996. Her death remains one of the nation's most infamous unsolved murder cases, with no one ever charged.

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While investigators maintain the CBI scandal had no impact on the Ramsey investigation, Ramsey hopes the renewed attention will accelerate the use of forensic genetic genealogy, a technology he believes could finally reveal the identity of the person who killed his daughter.

Fox News Digital reached out to Woods' attorney for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Why KFC's fried chicken tastes different from that of every other fast-food chain

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:21 -0400

There are many theories about what makes KFC's signature fried-chicken menu item so "finger lickin' good" — from the chain's blend of herbs and spices to the chicken it uses and the breading technique it's perfected.

One of the biggest reasons KFC's chicken is legendary is that it's cooked in commercial pressure fryers, according to The Takeout. The method cooks the chicken quickly, creating a crisp crust while keeping the meat juicy.

KFC's website says founder Colonel Harland Sanders spent nine years perfecting his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices, along with the cooking technique the chain still uses today.

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The fast-food giant says its chicken is made "the hard way," with each piece hand-breaded and freshly prepared.

"Our chicken isn't made the fast way or the easy way," according to KFC.

A 2020 episode of Food Network's "Unwrapped" said the original handwritten Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe — the chain shortened its name to KFC in 1991 — is so secret that it's "locked in a vault along with vials containing samples of all 11 herbs and spices."

The restaurant goes so far as to mix half of the spices in one place and the other half somewhere else, with a third party blending them together, a narrator on the show revealed.

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In 2016, the Chicago Tribune reported that Sanders' nephew, Joe Ledington, showed a reporter what he claimed was the original recipe from a family scrapbook during a visit to the Harland Sanders Café and Museum.

KFC disputed the claim, saying, "Many people have made these claims over the years and no one has been accurate — this one isn't either."

The Louisville, Kentucky-based chain has also said that Sanders' original 1940 recipe "is locked up in a digital safe that's encased in two feet of concrete and monitored 24 hours a day by a video and motion detection surveillance system," The Associated Press once reported.

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Social media forums are filled with conversations about how people can presumably recreate KFC's famous chicken, but a 2019 post on its website revealed Sanders' "7-10-7" breading technique.

Chicken pieces are rolled seven times in a basket after being cleaned and rinsed to remove any excess moisture. They're then tossed in the breading flour 10 times using a "scoop and lift" motion before being pressed into the breading flour seven times to ensure the ideal flour-to-chicken coating ratio on each piece, according to the post.

"Each piece of chicken is then placed onto layers of stainless steel clamshell baskets in a planned layout before being pressure-cooked to golden perfection," KFC said.

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The "racking" layout was designed by Sanders for frying a perfectly cooked KFC chicken. This ensures that there's no overlapping of chicken pieces — allowing different parts such as the breast and the drumstick to be cooked evenly at the same time, the post revealed.

The first KFC franchise opened in Utah in 1952.

Sanders died in 1980 at the age of 90, but his legacy lives on through his original chicken recipe and his image, which has remained at the forefront of the logo's design through the years.

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There are now more than 31,000 KFC locations in 150 countries and territories worldwide, according to its website.

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Fox News Digital reached out to KFC for comment.

I played in the NFL. We don’t want Washington trying to fix college sports

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:19 -0400

I’ve spent years helping hundreds of high school and college athletes secure NIL and professional contracts that create life-changing opportunities and lay the foundation for careers like mine. As a former NFL and Arena Football player, it has been one of my great privileges to watch these young men and women flourish both on and off the field.

That’s why I oppose the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA). Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz usually gets it right, which is why he’s a great senator. But instead of bringing order to the Wild West of college sports, the PCSA creates a federal system that could jeopardize the opportunities today’s athletes finally have to create wealth, gain valuable experience and shape their own futures.

There’s no doubt that college sports need reform. I’ve seen it up close, first as a player, then as someone who has represented athletes, and most recently when I helped operate a name, image and likeness (NIL) collective. I’ve sat in living rooms with families to help them navigate cumbersome NIL rules that seem to change by the month. The transfer portal doesn’t serve athletes or fans, and litigation has created uncertainty for schools and players alike.

JAY BILAS RAVES ABOUT THE IMPACT OF NIL ON COLLEGE BASKETBALL: 'I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER BEEN BETTER'

Athletes, schools and fans deserve better, because those living rooms aren’t numbers to me. They have real people sitting in them, seeing real opportunity in front of them.

I’ll never forget one mother’s relief and excitement when I told her that her son had signed his first meaningful NIL agreement. I’ve watched players use NIL income to help take pressure off their families back home. I’ve seen young men who once thought football might end with graduation begin to think differently about their futures because they were learning how to build a brand, manage money and create opportunities beyond the game.

Supporters of the PCSA argue that Washington must centralize oversight to bring order and stability to college athletics. But college sports didn't become one of America's great institutions because of federal planning. Their growth came from schools, conferences, businesses and communities adapting to change and creating value.

INSIDE THE SEC’S HIGH-STAKES DESTIN SHOWDOWN OVER CFP EXPANSION, NIL AND A POSSIBLE NCAA BREAKAWAY

The people closest to athletes are also the people best positioned to understand what those athletes need. The offensive tackle my agency represents at Kentucky faces different opportunities and challenges from the receiver we represent at Texas Tech or the high school prospect we're helping navigate the recruiting process. Those decisions shouldn't be made by bureaucrats in Washington, who are far removed from the realities facing athletes and the communities that support them.

And as a former player, I know something else: when decisions move farther from the locker room, the people who pay the price are usually the athletes themselves.

College sports need change. The rules should be clearer. The system should be more stable. But reform should strengthen the people and institutions that built this game, not hand more authority to Washington.

NICK SABAN'S COMMENTS DURING SENATE HEARING DON'T CHANGE HIS LEGENDARY STATUS AS HEAD COACH

The game I fell in love with gave me opportunities I never could have imagined. But one of the greatest privileges of my life has been helping the next generation find opportunities I never had.

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Because when I think about the future of college sports, I don't think about bureaucracies or legislation. I think about that mother’s voice on the other end of the phone and the young men whose lives are being changed by opportunities that finally exist for them.

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They deserve reform that opens more doors, not fewer. And the future of college athletics should continue to be built under Friday night lights and on Saturday afternoons, by the players, coaches, schools and communities that made these sports great in the first place.

Rolling Stones' wild sex tally included one member who stopped counting at 1,800, biographer claims

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 08:00:18 -0400

It's only rock 'n' roll... until someone starts counting.

From the moment they burst onto the music scene, the Rolling Stones embraced a reputation as rock 'n' roll's ultimate bad boys, cultivating an aura of rebellion and danger that captivated fans and shocked critics. Their music pushed boundaries — and so did their love lives.

In "The Rolling Stones: The Biography," Bob Spitz chronicles the band's decades-long career, arguing that Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and their bandmates became as famous for their offstage excesses as for their sold-out arenas and chart-topping hits.

RINGO STARR REVEALS THE ONE HUMBLE RITUAL THE BEATLES REFUSED TO QUIT EVEN AT THE HEIGHT OF FAME

"The Stones have always been known for their offstage behavior," Spitz told Fox News Digital. "They got together at one point — when they were older men — Bill Wyman, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger — to decide how many women they had slept with over the years. A shocking number."

"Bill stopped counting at about 1,800," Spitz claimed. "He had kept a journal with the name of every woman he had spent the night with. Mick thought his total was in the hundreds. Keith counted four on his fingers. So, when you look at them as a promiscuous band, you have to put things into perspective. Keith, who was the baddest of bad boys, turned out to be the most romantic of the Stones."

The tally challenged one of rock's longest-running assumptions: that the band's most notorious outlaw was also its biggest womanizer.

WATCH: HOW THE ROLLING STONES BECAME ROCKS ULTIMATE BAD BOYS

Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for the Rolling Stones for comment.

Richards has never publicly put a number on his sexual partners. In interviews and in his memoir "Life," he has instead focused primarily on the women who had the greatest impact on his life, particularly Anita Pallenberg and his wife, Patti Hansen. Richards has often said that drugs and music dominated his life far more than chasing women.

If Richards challenged the stereotype, Wyman reinforced it. He was described as the group's "unrivaled p----hound," Spitz wrote.

"Bill Wyman had a saying in the band that he couldn't go to sleep alone," Spitz told Fox News Digital. "Every night, he scouted the most beautiful young women standing closest to the stage. He would point out one or two, and one of the roadies would invite them backstage."

"Bill was the oldest Rolling Stone," Spitz said. "He was, at the beginning, the only married Rolling Stone. Yet, when he joined the band, he let loose. He was, without a doubt, the most promiscuous of all the Stones."

But Wyman's personal life would eventually spark controversy far beyond the band's usual indulgences.

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Wyman married his first wife, Diane Cory, in 1959. They welcomed their son, Stephen, in 1962, and divorced in 1969. In 1989, he married his second wife, Mandy Smith, when he was 52 and she was 18. According to multiple reports, they met when she was 13 and he was 48.

Spitz wrote that the relationship "revolted" Jagger, whose daughters, Karis and Jade, were older than Smith. The rest of the group read Wyman "the riot act." Wyman has since expressed regret over the marriage, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

"Rock 'n' rollers have always gotten a pass," Spitz said. "As a biographer, I can't give them a pass. I'm sorry. I have a responsibility when I examine these things."

By the late '60s, romantic boundaries inside the Stones' circle had become almost impossible to separate.

As The Times of London later summed it up, the band's romantic entanglements often overlapped: Richards slept with Pallenberg, and Pallenberg slept with Jagger. Marianne Faithfull slept with Brian Jones, Richards and Jagger, who also slept with Pat Andrews, Jones' girlfriend.

Jagger proposed to Faithfull in 1968, but she turned him down.

Spitz wrote that it was no secret to Faithfull and "most of London" that Jagger was "two-timing her in a torrid affair" with Marsha Hunt.

"Marianne Faithfull said that Keith was the most romantic man," Spitz said. "The one night she spent with Keith was the most romantic night of her life."

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Spitz argues that Jones set the tone for the band's reckless reputation long before it became part of Rolling Stones mythology.

"Brian, by the time he was 21, had fathered five children," Spitz said. "He was repopulating post-war Britain by himself. It didn't really affect the band's stability. It affected its pocketbook because every time there was a paternity suit, the Stones decided to pay off those harmed by Brian's behavior. But it increased, believe it or not, the band's reputation a bit."

"They had in the very early '60s decided that they were going to be the anti-Beatles," Spitz continued.

"That was going to be their image. They weren't going to bow at the end of every song. They weren't going to wear suits onstage. Politeness was out the window. They were going to behave the way teenagers and young men in their early 20s behaved. That meant going their own way, being a little insolent and being arrogant. They dressed in their street clothes. They smoked onstage. They were the bad boys, and they liked being the bad boys."

Jones died by drowning in 1969. He was 27. The coroner recorded his death as "death by misadventure."

In his book, Spitz detailed how sex at times complicated the band's relationships. He described how Jagger and Pallenberg played a couple in 1970's "Performance" and had sex on film.

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"There was a lot of very explicit video taken by Anita on her handheld movie camera showing Mick and Anita really screwing — steamy, lusty stuff that was edited into a separate X-rated short feature," Spitz wrote, quoting a Rolling Stones employee.

Pallenberg, who died in 2017 at age 75, confirmed the story in her private journals, which were quoted in the 2024 documentary "Catching Fire," according to Page Six.

Spitz wrote that "things grew itchy" between Pallenberg and Richards. They were renting a home where "a pressure cooker of tension and frustration polluted the once-carefree atmosphere."

"Even the customarily fearless Keith couldn't handle this one," Faithfull recalled, as quoted in the book.

After decades of affairs, marriages, breakups and betrayals, the band's longest-lasting love story was never a romance at all.

"The Stones have some magic that's held them together through thick and thin, and there's been a lot of thin," Spitz told Fox News Digital.

"Over the years, there were times when Mick and Keith weren't talking to each other. There were times when they weren't making the music of the moment. But for some reason, they've connected with audiences time and time again."

"Everything in the band depends on Mick and Keith's relationship," Spitz said. "Their rapport is so crucial to the Rolling Stones' longevity. There was a time when things got pretty tense, especially in the '90s. But these guys — it's a love story."

"The two of them have enormous respect for each other. When Keith married Patti Hansen, whom did he choose as his best man? The guy he wasn't speaking to, Mick Jagger. So that tells you all about them — how tight their bond is and how much they really care about and love each other."

Brooke Slusser speaks out against SJSU admins after volleyball coach's allegations surface

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 07:48:47 -0400

During Brooke Slusser's last college volleyball season at San Jose State in 2024, she claims she was told to never be in a room alone with head coach Todd Kress. Slusser claimed that people close to her, including her parents, heard rumors that Kress allegedly attacked one of his former players in a hotel room many years ago.

"I was told just to be safe and not be in a room alone with him when my parents found out about it ... I didn't know all of the information, so it was kind of scary when I was concerned when everyone was telling me, 'We're not gonna tell you everything that happened 'cause we don't wanna scare you, but we're telling you from here on out, you are not allowed to be alone in a room with Todd Kress,'" Slusser told Fox News Digital on Friday.

Fox News Digital reported Tuesday that in October 2024, SJSU was sent a letter by one of Kress's former players that included allegations he attacked her in a team hotel room in 1998.

SJSU WAS TOLD OF DECADES-OLD ALLEGATIONS AGAINST VOLLEYBALL COACH DURING CONTROVERSIAL 2024 SEASON

The letter's contents included the allegations that Kress "forcibly threw me on the bed" then "pulled his pants down and put his back side in my face," and then "picked me up, and threw me into the bathtub where he held me down and threatened to turn on the shower with me laying there."

Slusser alleged that the school never informed her or other players of the allegations in the letter.

"The school gave us absolutely zero information. This was never brought up once. I think anyone would remember that. And even when the article had come out, I had a bunch of old teammates texting me asking me if this was true, if I knew anything else, those types of things. So they never brought this up once to anyone," Slusser said, adding that since the article came out Tuesday, her former teammates have reached out to her to share they also were never told by the school.

Slusser said that during the 2024 season, rumors of Kress's alleged past actions eventually reached her parents' ears. She said they advised her to bring former SJSU assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose or a teammate when she entered a room with Kress.

"So basically, my parents just told me from there on, like, 'Take Melissa with you if he drags you into a meeting,' like he was doing every single day, or, 'Take a teammate with you. Just do not be alone with him 'cause he can be aggressive,'" she said.

Emails show that SJSU officials acknowledged the receipt of the allegations in October 2024, thanked the former Fairfield player from 1998 for coming forward, and apologized for her experiences. Kress has continued to serve as the head coach of the women's volleyball team, and made a post on social media boasting his recruiting efforts since the allegations were reported on this past Tuesday.

The letter containing the allegations was written by a woman that played for Kress at Fairfield University in 1998, and sent to SJSU on Oct. 24, 2024. Kress remained head coach, but Batie-Smoose was suspended just days later after submitting a Title IX complaint. Her contract was not renewed the following January, and now she is waging a wrongful termination lawsuit.

Slusser said she is most "bothered" by the university's suspension of Batie-Smoose, all while its leaders had been informed of the allegations against Kress.

"I think that's the part that bothers me the most, is that they're gonna let go of Melissa, who was always there for us, protected us, cared for us, and then you're gonna keep [Kress] on payroll," Slusser said.

Slusser is also waging a lawsuit against the university and the California State University system (CSU) for her alleged experience under Kress with a transgender former teammate in 2023 and 2024. Now, she has a warning for the team's current players, and its new recruiting class.

"I would say beware... see the man that you just committed to playing for for the next four years. It's not someone I would wanna send my daughter to play for or anyone that I know. I wouldn't send my worst enemy to play for him," Slusser said.

Fox News Digital was given copies of the emails exchanged between SJSU and the former Fairfield player, from an independently verified source. Fox News Digital has independently verified she played at Fairfield under Kress in the 1998 season, but is not disclosing her name.

That first email she sent to SJSU contained the letter with the written allegations against Kress, that was originally sent to Fairfield University. The alleged incident occurred in a hotel after Fairfield’s loss to Clemson in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament in December of that year. She wrote that a teammate asked her to bring her a shirt to Kress’ room.

"I told her I wanted no part of his insanity. I was distraught about the loss and wasn’t interested in his drunken insanity, which was commonplace on trips."

The former player added that her teammate "promised Todd would not throw water at me or do something juvenile so I reluctantly agreed to bring her the shirt."

"I knocked on the door and Todd answered. He immediately took caramel from a plastic container and smeared it all over my face and hair. He then forcibly threw me on the bed and held me down. I was in shock. He let go of me and then pulled his pants down and put his back side in my face.

"Astonished... that is the only word I can think of to describe how I felt in that moment... Todd was drunk. I got up and went for the door.

"Todd again grabbed me, picked me up, and threw me into the bathtub where he held me down and threatened to turn on the shower with me laying there to ‘clean the caramel off of my face.’ At this point I was fighting back to get away from him.

"Todd let me get out of the tub, laughing, and then he stood in front of the door blocking my exit. Todd told me he would only let me leave if I took a shot of liquor, which I did only to get him to move away from the door. Once he did, I ran for it. He chased me. I got into my room and although he seemed to be in a rage, he turned and calmly walked out," the letter alleges.

The former player goes on to allege her teammates "had been drinking with Todd underage." She also claimed she did not report the incident at the time because she "was scared of losing my scholarship and being the reason my teammates lost theirs."

On Nov. 4, 2024, former SJSU interim Title IX and Gender Equity Officer Peter Lim reached out to set up a meeting with the former Fairfield player who sent the letter and her attorney.

INSIDE THE FALLOUT OF THE SJSU VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: ‘THIS IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM’

"Thank you for sharing your concerns about Coach Todd Kress. I am sorry to hear about your experiences. I have reviewed your letter and would like to meet with you to better understand your experiences with Coach Kress. The purpose of the meeting would be to help me assess potential next steps, which may or may not include an investigation into the reported conduct," Lim wrote.

Three days after that, on Nov. 7, Lim sent another email to the former Fairfield player, thanking her and her attorney for meeting with them.

"I am so sorry about your prior experiences with Todd Kress at Fairfield University. I appreciate the time you took to describe those experiences, the impact those experiences continue to have on you, and the safety threat that you believe he presents to SJSU’s volleyball team," Lim wrote.

"We are evaluating the information you provided and determining appropriate next steps. If it is okay with the two of you, I would appreciate staying in touch."

There was no further correspondence between the two parties after that exchange, Fox News Digital has learned.

Kress continued to lead Slusser, Fleming and the rest of that year's team until they lost in the conference championship. He remained in his position throughout and after 2025, as the team missed the conference tournament completely with a losing record, and has made multiple posts on Instagram in recent days boasting his recruiting class.

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In a post on his Instagram Stories on Wednesday, Kress shared a post about SJSU being a top-ranked university, writing his own caption, "That's why we're bringing in so many incredible future Spartans with our recruiting efforts!"

In a post on Thursday, Kress shared a photo of himself with a crowd of girls volleyball players, with the caption "Nike All-Skills campt at SJSU is a wrap Thanks to all who attended and we hope you had a blast!"

Slusser has previously told Fox News Digital that Kress, while recruiting her in early 2023, encouraged her to live in a house with former teammate Blaire Fleming, without disclosing to Slusser that Fleming was a biological male. She was made aware of the allegations in a season where she was already experiencing alleged heightened tensions with Kress throughout that season.

"It goes to show their goal at the end of the day was literally just to hide everything they could," Slusser added.

"They wanted it their way, and if you disagreed with them, then they were gonna make your life a living hell, basically. And I mean, that's what they did to me. So this is a lot more than just a man in our safe spaces or on our team. It's about the people that allowed it to happen... you can see we're not going after Blaire. I am not trying to personally attack Blaire. This is about the people that allow it to happen."

Fox News Digital submitted a public records request seeking copies of documents with criteria that matched the emails exchanged between SJSU and Kress’ former player, but the university formally declined the request, stating "the requested communications implicate substantial privacy interests."

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Fox News Digital reached out to Kress, SJSU officials and the university’s legal counsel that handled the 2024 exchange with a series of questions, but did not receive a response from any of the parties.

Fox News Digital has reached back out to those parties for a response to Slusser's statements.

Sports cartoons of the day

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:08:52 -0400

Platner aide hit with brutal timeline check after campaign denied rape claim, then folded days later

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 07:00:37 -0400

A political advisor to Graham Platner’s now-defunct Senate campaign is facing scrutiny after saying the team urged him to end his candidacy "as soon" as it learned of a rape allegation — despite the campaign publicly denying the claim before Platner suspended his run two days later.

"As soon as the team became aware of the rape allegations against Graham Platner, we advised he suspend his candidacy, and in the following days worked to wind down the campaign," Platner political advisor Morris Katz wrote on X Wednesday.

The allegation, first reported by Politico on Monday, came from Maine resident Jenny Racicot, who said Platner raped her in 2021. Platner has denied the claim, calling it false and politically motivated.

EXPLOSIVE SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATION ROCKS PLATNER CAMPAIGN AHEAD OF KEY DEADLINE IN CRUCIAL SENATE RACE

Katz, one of Platner's top political advisors, faced scrutiny over the post on Thursday, including receiving an X community note for its timeline.

"When asked by CNN about Jenny Racicot's rape allegation on July 6, Platner's campaign denied it was true rather than immediately advising suspension, which occurred two days later," the community note reads.

CNN's Jake Tapper weighed in on Katz's message, posting to X: "As soon as we asked the campaign about what Jenny Racicot told us on the record and on camera Monday, the campaign said that her assertion he had raped her was false."

Platner responded within minutes to the Politico article, posted at 3:18 p.m. Monday, sharing a video on X at 3:29 p.m. He said his campaign was "taking time to reflect on the best path forward."

His campaign also commented in the article, noting Platner "vigorously denies" the "very serious" allegations, while arguing critics were working to push him out of the running.

"They are also coached and coordinated by out of state establishment operatives," the campaign told Politico on Monday "For a year, opponents of this campaign have thrown everything they can at Graham –– calling him a Nazi, a war criminal, and a communist. None of it has been true and this is no different. It is not a coincidence that this story comes a week before the ballot deadline, just as the previous false allegations came a week before the primary. Graham began this campaign to fight for a Maine where everyone is treated with dignity and where Mainers are put first, and no amount of desperate smears will stop this movement from seeing that vision through."

PLATNER'S LATEST ACCUSER CLAIMS THE DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE 'ABSOLUTELY' RAPED HER

As calls grew for him to exit the race, Platner’s campaign announced Wednesday that he would speak later that day, but did not say what he planned to address before he posted an 11-minute recorded video on X.

In the video, Platner said the allegations were "all false," blaming the political establishment for working against him to force him out of the race.

"Much like the news that was created the week before the primary. There is a reason that this is happening now. I only have until July 13th until I am officially the nominee. This was the last week to try to get me off of the ballot. And that's why this is occurring," said Platner.

He announced the suspension of his campaign in the Wednesday video.

"For the movement to continue, it can’t be me. For that reason, we are suspending campaign operations," Platner said in a video posted to social media.

Platner officially ended his Senate campaign on Friday afternoon.

Critics on social media seized on the timeline, questioning when the campaign learned of the allegation and why Platner did not suspend his campaign until two days later.

"Important to note that Morris and his team began calling former girlfriends of Platner LAST YEAR because they knew there were issues," wrote Republican commentator Matt Whitlock on X.

"The Democrat establishment was fully ready to make a rapist a United States Senator. They only took him out because he was going to lose," wrote the Republicans X account.

"11 minutes and zero accountability," wrote Democratic, pro-choice women’s PAC, Emily's List.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IF PLATNER DROPS OUT? HERE'S WHO COULD REPLACE HIM ON THE BALLOT AND HOW IT WOULD WORK

Maine Democrats were racing a July 13 deadline for Platner to formally withdraw from the race, a step that would allow the party to select a replacement nominee by July 27 to face incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Platner’s team and Katz for comment.