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MAGA bikini congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna patrols streets in a cop car, Angel goes flying & abandoned malls
First Hump Day of a new month. Who has it better than us? Nobody! I'm actually coming to you live from inside our local Hyundai dealership, where the First Lady's car is getting an oil change.
She's only 3,000 miles behind, so it should be in good shape!
"You actually have three recalls out for this vehicle," the poor teenager at the desk says to me as I'm checking in. "We can fix one today, we have to order a part for the other one, and they still can't find a fix for the third one."
"Great, glad we bought this car a few years ago!" I responded in a sarcastic tone he clearly didn't get. "Just out of curiosity, what's the third one y'all can't fix yet?"
A solid six seconds of silence.
"Well, it has to do with the third-row seats ejecting during a rollover crash," he said without looking at me for obvious reasons.
"Oh, good," I said with a chuckle. "I'll be sure to yell that to my kids as they're flying through the air on 95!"
At least that one got a laugh out of him.
Anyway, welcome to a Hump Day Nightcaps — the one where Anna Paulina Luna cleans up the Florida streets like the patriot she is.
What else? I've got former Russian inmate Brittney Griner throwing Angel Reese around like a rag doll, some thoughts on the West Virginia "Country Roads" moment from Monday night, and does anyone here still live in a small town with an active mall?
Ours is getting demolished starting today, and it makes me SICK. We had it all and just pissed it away, didn't we?
Sad.
OK, grab you something in the cinnamon sugar category from Auntie Anne's, and settle in for a Hump Day 'Cap!
Nothing beat a mall food court back in the day. It was the Wild Wild West. The world truly was our oyster. Remember the teriyaki chicken samples they'd hand out on a toothpick? The best.
And now look at my mall ...
That's the old Macy's right there. Just ... gone. Poof. Like she never existed. Disgusting.
They're apparently demolishing half the mall right now and completely overhauling it with a bunch of "hybrid" outdoor/indoor retail spaces, along with a Sprouts and a restaurant.
They're making it a Tanger Outlet, essentially, for those who live near a Tanger Outlet. The Amazon-ation of this country makes me sick. We used to be a proper nation.
Anyway ... does anyone in class today still have a functioning mall in their town? Let me know! Better yet, send pictures! Bonus points for anyone who sends me photos of a Disney store, FYE, or arcade.
Now, let's get this class going with MAGA bikini congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, who spent the week cleaning up the streets in Pinellas County:
Yes! Get 'em, Congresswoman! These "Teen Takeovers" are insane. It's a big TikTok thing and it's pretty much exactly how it sounds. Just hundreds of teenagers invading a public space and making it their own.
Obviously, Florida is a prime spot for it because we're the best state in the country and people love to come here during the summer even though it's 157 degrees every day.
I was in Anna Maria last week on vacation (over by Fort Myers) and I'm fairly certain we had something like this brewing on the beach. It didn't escalate, but I had my head on a SWIVEL the whole time. You never know where these things are going to go.
Exhibit A, from a place I will personally never go ... Chicago!
You see? It's anarchy. Not down here. Not in beautiful, free, law-abiding Florida. Not with Anna Paulina patrolling our streets.
What a state. Can't believe we're losing our governor in a few months. What a disaster.
OK, let's keep class moving by ... going back!
Lordy. Just look at that. Watch it again, and then think about the absolute outrage surrounding our upcoming 250th birthday in a few weeks.
Singers are really dropping out of the event — "The Great American State Fair" — because of Trump. Martina McBride said "no thanks," along with Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day. Amazing.
Hate Trump all you want. That's fine. But come on. This is America's birthday! The big 250. And we're dropping out? Gross. Be more like Vanilla Ice!
I'm going to age myself here, but I'm just now finding out that Vanilla Ice's real name is Robert Van Winkle. Had no clue. The more you know ...
OK, let's rapid-fire this Hump Day class into a big Hump Day Night. First up? I know this is a few days old, but I was off yesterday, so it's newsy to me.
The scene out of Morgantown Monday night was a reminder of what we used to have, and how far we've drifted:
THAT is what college athletics are supposed to be about. Not NIL. Not paychecks. Not contracts or marketing deals or draft stock.
We fell in love with college sports because of moments like that. The upsets. The walk-offs. The "moments." Above all, the community. We felt a connection with these players because WE went to the school.
We walked the same halls they do. We went to the same campus bars and dining halls and classrooms.
So when they did something great on the field, WE felt like we did something, too. That's what you saw the other night after West Virginia walked it off.
Less NIL. Less transfer portal. More of that. Please, we're begging you. Unlike my stupid mall, it's still possible. We still have a chance to right the ship.
And that's my TED Talk for the day!
OK, two more on the way out. First? "60 Minutes" is in the news today for reasons I don't much care about. Above my paygrade, and not for this class.
What IS for this class, however, is this simple question:
Amen. This happens every single week in my house, and has for years now. Decades, really. A tradition unlike any other, as Jim Nantz would say. "60 Minutes" for the AFC crowd, and "Bob's Burgers" for the NFC folks. God, I miss football season.
98 days, boys and girls. Hang tight. We're almost there.
OK, that's it for today. What a class. I think we nailed it. Great first Hump Day of June.
Here's Joe Biden's worst trade acquisition, Brittney Griner, flinging Angel Reese around like a rag doll to take us home.
See you tomorrow.
OutKick Nightcaps is a daily column set to run Monday through Friday at 4 p.m. (roughly, we’re not robots).
Any malls in your area still? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.
GOP advances ICE funding package after forcing Trump's controversial $2B fund into retreat
After delays spurred by shock announcements from the Trump administration, Senate Republicans have officially launched their play to fund immigration enforcement.
The upper chamber took the first step in the last leg of the process to advance a roughly $70 billion package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol after being derailed by the administration’s surprise "anti-weaponization" fund.
It comes after uncertainty over whether acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s testimony under oath that the administration was "not moving forward with the fund" would be enough to satisfy skeptical Republicans.
GOP LEVERAGES ICE FUNDING PACKAGE TO MAKE TRUMP'S CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND 'NEVER EXIST'
Republican leaders hope that the unity on display Wednesday afternoon carries through the forthcoming "vote-a-rama," where Democrats, and some Republicans, are considering several amendments to ensure that the nearly $2 billion fund is dead and never returns.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged that there may be some Republicans who weren’t satisfied with Blanche’s testimony, and reiterated that the main goal was to "get the base bill across the finish line."
"Hopefully, all of our members who have amendment ideas will, as they think through that, and they have the opportunities to have conversations… about their ideas, keep in mind we need to keep the bill together and make sure we’ve got 50 votes for it," Thune said.
GOP DEMANDS TRUMP KILL CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND BEFORE REVIVING ICE FUNDING PACKAGE
The fund, announced last month as part of a settlement between the Trump family and the Internal Revenue Service, received strong pushback from Republicans who feared that without proper guardrails, people convicted of assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on Capitol Hill could access the taxpayer funds.
Republicans who were irate at the fund are still deciding whether they'll support amendments, and beyond that, whether they will support final passage from the upper chamber.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wanted a guarantee from leadership that his add-on to permanently kill any attempt at an "anti-weaponization" fund would at least get a vote. And if there's no language that makes its way into the package that addresses the fund, he said, "It's going to be hard for me to vote yes."
"I mean, I think we got to know this is a huge political liability," Tillis told reporters. "I said it was stupid on stilts a week or two ago."
Senate Democrats intend to take advantage of any lingering fractures among Republicans with a plethora of amendments on the fund, along with other issues like the war in Iran and affordability.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, "Whenever we go into a vote-a-rama, Democrats will be ready."
TRUMP ADMIN BACKS OFF CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND, CLEARING PATH FOR GOP TO RESTART AGENDA
"Every vote, every amendment we bring to the floor will demonstrate that Democrats are standing up for the American people, and Republicans are selling out to Donald Trump," Schumer said.
Meanwhile, the "anti-weaponization" fund, along with scrapped funding for security upgrades to President Donald Trump’s ballroom, became a distraction from the reconciliation package’s primary purpose.
Republicans turned to the process after congressional Democrats refused to fund immigration enforcement absent stringent reforms — that dispute led to the longest government shutdown in history.
But the march to fund ICE and Border Patrol has been marred at times by infighting, either within the Senate GOP or with the administration, that has threatened to blow up the exercise.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Republicans were "moving in the right direction," despite the issues that have cropped up.
"We need to get border security funded, we need to get Immigration and Customs Enforcement funded," Barrasso said. "And the Democrats continue to stand — and I am sure they will today — stand with illegal immigrant criminals over the safety and security of the American people."
Trump expected to attend Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals Game 3 at Madison Square Garden
President Donald Trump is expected to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on June 8, OutKick confirmed through a source familiar with the plans.
The New York Post was first to report the news Wednesday.
That means the president is expected to be in the building for one of the biggest nights in modern Knicks history.
The Knicks will host an NBA Finals game for the first time in 27 years after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. New York last reached the Finals in 1999, when it lost to the Tim Duncan-led Spurs in five games.
The team again finds itself up against San Antonio, but this version is led by rising NBA star Victor Wembanyama, the 22-year-old Western Conference Finals MVP.
The president previously said he had been invited to attend a Finals game by several people, including Knicks owner James Dolan.
"I think I’ll be going to one of the games," Trump said last week when asked about the Knicks’ run.
Trump also said he had planned to attend Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals before New York ended the series early with a four-game sweep of Cleveland.
"I was going to go on Wednesday," Trump said. "But they closed it out very quickly. ... Boy, what a team."
NEW YORK KNICKS SWEEP CAVALIERS TO REACH FIRST NBA FINALS SINCE 1999 AFTER DOMINANT GAME 4 BLOWOUT
The president, a New York native and longtime sports fan, praised the Knicks for finally breaking through after decades of frustration.
"It’s great to see," Trump said. "The Knicks have really suffered for years."
Trump’s expected appearance at MSG would add another layer to what is already one of the most anticipated sporting events in New York in decades. The Knicks have not won an NBA championship since 1973, and their return to the Finals has turned Madison Square Garden into the center of the basketball world.
It would also continue Trump’s run of high-profile appearances at major American sporting events.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has attended several major sports showcases, including the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship, Super Bowl LIX, the Daytona 500, UFC events and the U.S. Open men’s final.
His presence at games and fights has frequently drawn loud reactions from fans and created a unique blend of sports, politics and celebrity, reminding everyone of the power of sports in America.
Monday’s game could carry historic significance beyond the Knicks’ long-awaited return to the Finals. If Trump attends, he would be the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game.
The Knicks will host Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden on June 8 and June 10, respectively. Game 6, if necessary, would also be played in New York on June 16.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
For the Knicks, the game represents a chance to bring the Finals back to "The World’s Most Famous Arena."
For Trump, it represents another appearance at the intersection of sports and American culture.
And for Madison Square Garden, it’s shaping up to be one of the biggest nights the building has seen in a generation.
Bari Weiss addresses Scott Pelley firing in CBS News staff call, says its the ‘path that he chose’
Scott Pelley accused CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss of misleading staff about his firing after she told employees Wednesday that the network tried to "find a way back" with the longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent before cutting ties.
Weiss reportedly told staff during the network’s 9:00 a.m. ET editorial call that Pelley’s departure followed a breakdown in trust and mutual respect after his clash with new management. But Pelley directly disputed Weiss' account in a statement, saying CBS executives never offered a path to resolution during a Tuesday meeting in which he said he was "effectively fired."
"Bari Weiss knows what she said is not true," Pelley told The New York Times. "In the meeting on Tuesday, in which I was effectively fired, there was no effort of any kind to ‘find a way back,’ as Weiss said in the editorial meeting."
The New York Post reported details of Weiss' Wednesday staff meeting, where she explained that the veteran journalist was shown the door after a public spat with management.
"We did not want that to happen, but that’s the path that he chose," Weiss said. "Despite our attempts to engage with Scott Pelley and to find a way back, unfortunately we weren’t able to do so, and so we had to part ways."
Pelley said that description was "disingenuous," claiming that CBS News president Tom Cibrowski raised the possibility of firing almost immediately.
"At no point did anyone in the Tuesday meeting suggest that there could be steps taken by either side that would lead to a resolution," Pelley told the Times. "Weiss and Tom Cibrowski were openly hostile from the start. ‘Firing’ was raised by Cibrowski in the first 15 seconds."
Pelley's firing came one day after he confronted Nick Bilton, the newly installed executive producer of "60 Minutes," during a tense staff meeting. Pelley had criticized Bilton's qualifications and accused Weiss of damaging the newsmagazine after a sweeping shake-up.
Pelley said Weiss, Cibrowski and Bilton refused to answer his questions about the recent dismissals at "60 Minutes," including the departures of executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi.
"I’m not answering that question," Pelley quoted Weiss as saying repeatedly.
Weiss nevertheless praised Pelley's decades of reporting at CBS, telling staff that his firing did not erase his work for the network.
"That unfortunate outcome does not discount from the amazing contributions and work that Scott Pelley has done for CBS and for ‘60 Minutes’ over the course of his career," Weiss said, according to the Post.
CBS NEWS INSIDERS BRACE FOR BARI WEISS AS PARAMOUNT CEO PUSHES DEAL WORTH UP TO $200M
Weiss pointed to several of Pelley’s "60 Minutes" stories, including his reporting on Havana syndrome, his interview with former Sen. Ben Sasse and a Vietnam report that featured him rappelling into one of the world’s largest caves.
"Those are unforgettable stories," Weiss said, according to the Post. "They’re the kind of stories that have always typified ‘60 Minutes.’"
Weiss also framed Bilton as the person who would carry the program into its next season.
"They’re the kind of stories that Nick Bilton is going to put on the air come September in Season 59 with the amazing team that’s still there and, hopefully, some new people that are going to be joining us," Weiss said.
Cibrowski also reportedly praised Pelley during the call, framing him as a central figure in the network's history.
"His incredible body of work … will always be part of the history of CBS News," Cibrowski said.
"We know that these events, developments, changes are a lot to process for every single person in this room and on this call," Cibrowski said. "And they are happening frequently."
Pelley said the meeting ended abruptly after Cibrowski declared the discussion over and stood to show him the door.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
"No constructive dialogue was allowed by the CBS executives at any point," Pelley said. "I was stonewalled for about 10 minutes and then, for no apparent reason, ‘This conversation is over.’"
CBS announced May 28 that Bilton, an investigative journalist, author and filmmaker, would become the fifth executive producer in "60 Minutes" history and the first to come from outside linear television.
Pelley said he was "pained" that CBS News staffers were "misled" during the Wednesday call.
"These executives cannot gain the trust of the staff with lies," Pelley said. "This is antithetical to everything we stand for and reveals contempt for what journalists do."
CBS News and Pelley did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Defying the odds: Why these three long shots could be Heisman trophy winners this season
The college football season is still almost three months away, but there is never a bad time to start looking forward to 2026.
As a matter of fact, if you haven't started prognosticating playoff brackets and award winners, you're already behind.
Today, we are talking Heisman trophy hopefuls, but not in the traditional sense.
Sure, anyone can sit here on the internet and say that Arch Manning or Jeremiah Smith will be in New York in December, but can you find the diamond in the rough that will shock everyone and become a household name by season's end?
INDIANA'S FERNANDO MENDOZA WINS 2025 HEISMAN TROPHY
Some of the most iconic Heisman winners are players who started the season as relative unknowns, with only the most hardcore college fans even knowing their names in September.
I'm not sure many people outside of Bloomington figured Fernando Mendoza would light the nation on fire and take home that 45-pound bronze statue.
Below are three "off-the-radar" picks to who I believe have the best chance to hoist the Heisman in 2026.
FIVE SEC TRAP GAMES IN 2026 THAT COULD UPEND THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RACE, FROM LSU TO GEORGIA
If you disagree, feel free to drop your Heisman pick in the comments below.
Most of you reading this will probably have the same reaction: "How can any quarterback being coached by Lane Kiffin be considered a long shot to win the Heisman?"
You're right to feel that way, considering Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr. transformed Trinidad Chambliss from a relative unknown at Ferris State to an All-SEC quarterback in just one season.
However, if you look at the Heisman odds, Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt ranks ninth among quarterbacks at +2200.
Leavitt was the highest-rated quarterback in the transfer portal, and when you couple that with Kiffin, Weiss Jr. and a reported $40 million roster, and I like Leavitt's odds better than just about anyone on the board.
Though he already has playoff experience from his days as a Sun Devil, Leavitt will be one of the premier names in the country by the time Kiffin is done with him, and that should translate to more than his fair share of postseason award recognition in the process.
It's not often that a non-quarterback wins the Heisman these days, which would explain why Miami's Mark Fletcher Jr. is such a long shot to win the award.
Of course, there were exceptions in the past like with Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith and, most recently, Colorado's Travis Hunter, but quarterbacks usually have the inside track when it comes to winning the Heisman.
That being said, if a running back were to win it, Fletcher at +15,000 is a damn good deal.
Fletcher is a bruising back who could have gone to the NFL this past spring, but chose to stick around Coral Gables and take another crack at winning a national championship after the Canes fell agonizingly close in January.
Teams will likely be keying on Miami's passing game, which will also feature Heisman favorites at quarterback in Darrien Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney, leaving Fletcher to feast on what's left of the opposing defense.
When you couple that with the Hurricanes' uncanny ability to churn out top-level offensive line play, something head coach Mario Cristobal and o-line coach Alex Mirobal pride themselves on, I have no doubt Fletcher will put up monster numbers for Miami in 2026.
If Sam Leavitt is considered a long shot to win the Heisman this year, then Oklahoma State signal caller Drew Mestemaker should be seen as a straight up moon shot.
The redshirt sophomore followed head coach Eric Morris over from North Texas, and it's easy to see why.
Mestemaker was a statistical juggernaut while playing in Morris' air-raid system, leading the country in both passing yards and yards per attempt, and finishing second in passing touchdowns in 2025.
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The Mean Green were a loss in their conference championship game away from making it to the College Football Playoff last season, and many are viewing the Cowboys as CFP darlings this year, due in no small part to both Mestemaker and Morris making the trip north on I-35.
Making the jump to a power conference could mean stiffer competition, but it will also mean a lot more notoriety for the young quarterback as well.
I expect the marriage between Mestemaker and Morris to be a fruitful one, and Oklahoma State's offense should be one of the most potent in the country.
Mark my words, everyone in America will know who Drew Mestemaker is by the end of November.
Cold case of missing news anchor rocked by claim of confession in roadside meltdown: report
A private investigator has reportedly identified a possible suspect in the three-decades-old mystery surrounding the cold-case disappearance of an Iowa news anchor.
The case began in the early-morning hours of June 27, 1995, when Jodi Huisentruit did not show up to work to anchor the local morning news in Mason City, Iowa.
Her disappearance sparked a three-decades-long search by authorities that prompted multiple theories surrounding the case, though her body has never been recovered and no one has been charged with a crime.
However, private investigator Steve Ridge told FOX 10 that he recently received a tip pointing to a potential suspect in the case.
"[The tipster] was dating a suspect in the case or person of interest who eventually, in her presence, confessed, and it came at a very heated moment when the two of them were being tailed by authorities up in Minnesota," Ridge said, according to the outlet. "He finally pulled over, and he was hitting the steering wheel and said, 'I didn't do it. I didn't do it. I didn't do it' and he finally hit the steering wheel and said 'I did it.'"
Ridge did not reveal the identity of the possible suspect or whether they are still alive, FOX 10 reported. He told the outlet he provided the evidence to the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation.
"I was able to conclusively determine that this female informant had a short term romantic relationship with the suspect," Ridge said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "I secured and verified photos, handwritten letters, canceled checks and other items."
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Ridge added that he would like to "award the $100,000 reward to the person who can lead us to Jodi’s remains."
The update comes two years after John Vansice — the last person to see Huisentruit alive and the self-described primary person of interest — died before the case could be solved.
SEARCH FOR MISSING NEWS ANCHOR EXPANDS AFTER AUTHORITIES GET NEW TIP
"She always had a concern about being stalked because she is on TV every day and everybody can see her," Vansice previously said.
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"Jodi and I became very good friends. Nothing more, nothing less," he reportedly added. "We did things as a group with other people, and we just got to know each other a lot, and we liked each other. We had a lot of fun together. It’s like a father-daughter situation."
Vansice reportedly moved to Arizona and spoke to Ridge several times before his death in 2024.
"He denied any role in the disappearance of Jodi and said he cared very much about her and that he would never possibly hurt her," Ridge said, according to FOX 10.
The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation declined Fox News Digital's request for comment.
MMA star Ben Askren returns to fighting less than a year after double lung transplant, stint on life support
Former UFC fighter and Olympic wrestler Ben Askren will be fighting for the first time in nearly seven years after undergoing a double-lung transplant.
Last year, Askren was on a ventilator and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), with his wife, Amy, going as far as saying he needed a "miracle."
Well, the miracle occurred, and a comeback is now on the horizon.
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Askren will face former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in a wrestling match at Real American Freestyle 11 on July 18, his 42nd birthday, in Milwaukee. RAF was co-founded by the late Hulk Hogan.
Askren "developed severe pneumonia which came on very suddenly" last June, Amy said, and was eventually put on life support. Askren was placed on the transplant list on June 24 and received a donor organ days later.
Askren later said that he did not remember anything from May 28 to July 2 and "only died four times" while losing 50 pounds in the hospital. He was released from the hospital on July 22 after 59 days.
"It was hard, it was hard. And I said this already in one of my videos, but the support you guys gave me, whether it was sending a GoFundMe, whether it was helping my kids and wife get through it – I had friends from all over the country come to visit and hang out for a couple of days – it meant so much," Askren said when he was released. "It was so great to just have all this support and all the love, and hopefully I’m not in this situation again for a really, really, really long time. I plan on living a while."
Askren said he then turned to Christianity.
"There was multiple times where they thought I was dead. Like I was dead, that’s the other side," Askren said in a later interview. "I woke up and I just decided I was a Christian. So, that’s crazy.
"I went with my wife to church for 15 years because that was part of the deal. I said, ‘Well, I’m not Christian, but I’ll support you.’ And it was really weird when I woke up, I’m like ‘I gotta do it.’ You know? So, that was kind of weird."
Former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington will also fight in the event.
The 41-year-old was an NCAA champion in the 170-pound division in 2006 and 2007 and went on to compete for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics. He won gold medals in the 2005 Pan American Championships and the 2009 World Championships. He made his full transition to MMA when he debuted in Bellator in 2010. He then competed in ONE Championship before joining the UFC.
He defeated Robbie Lawler via submission at UFC 235 before losing to Jorge Masvidal in a high-profile bout. Askren retired from mixed martial arts in 2019 after compiling a 19-2 record, with both losses coming in his three UFC fights.
In 2021, he fought Jake Paul in a boxing match.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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Trump expands Cuba sanctions beyond US companies in major crackdown on foreign enablers
The Trump administration is rolling out what experts describe as the most significant expansion of U.S. sanctions on Cuba in decades.
The administration is attempting what supporters say is the first broad application of Cuba-related secondary sanctions against foreign firms, aiming not only at Havana itself but also at foreign companies and banks that continue doing business with the island’s military-linked economic empire.
The new framework, established under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump May 1, applies pressure beyond U.S. companies for the first time, threatening foreign firms with sanctions exposure if they continue operating in key sectors of the Cuban economy linked to Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., or GAESA.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PRESSED TO CLOSE CUBA EMBARGO LOOPHOLE AS OIL SET TO RUN OUT WITHIN DAYS
Supporters say the move closes a loophole that allowed foreign investors to sustain Cuba’s communist regime while the longstanding U.S. embargo largely restricted Americans.
Critics argue the measures risk worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis on the island without meaningfully weakening the government.
"At the top of the month, what the Trump administration did was for the first time extend the application of U.S. sanctions from just prohibiting trade between U.S. firms and U.S. persons and the Cuban island to third-party countries and enablers," Max Meizlish, a former Treasury Department official now serving as a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital in an interview.
"For the first time ever in a truly unprecedented fashion, that’s the same logic that the administration is now applying to Cuba," he said.
The sanctions focus heavily on GAESA, a sprawling military-linked conglomerate that analysts estimate controls between 40% and 70% of Cuba’s economy, including tourism, mining, retail, ports and financial services.
A recent Foundation for Defense of Democracies report authored by Meizlish and Connor Pfeiffer argued that foreign companies doing business in Cuba are effectively helping sustain the regime’s military and political leadership.
The State Department sanctioned GAESA and several affiliated entities in May under the new authorities, opening the door for potential penalties against foreign companies and financial institutions that continue dealings with them after a June 5 wind-down deadline.
Meizlish argued previous sanctions regimes failed because they isolated American companies while allowing foreign actors to continue financing the Cuban state.
"There’s a lot of Spanish firms, for instance, that have invested millions of dollars in luxury hotel properties, villa properties in Cuba that partner with GAESA, all funding this military enterprise at the expense of the Cuban people," he said.
He also pointed to Canadian involvement in Cuba’s nickel and cobalt sectors, saying foreign investment has generated "huge amounts of money for the regime."
"A lot of people think about the U.S. embargo over the years is actually being responsible for a lot of the problems on the Cuban island, but they don't give consideration to the fact that GAESA, this newly sanctioned entity, has been sitting on an estimated $20 billion in assets and cash over the year while depriving the people of Cuba," Meizlish told Fox News Digital.
But critics of the policy warn the economic fallout could land the hardest on ordinary Cubans.
William LeoGrande, a longtime Cuba expert at American University, said the May 1 measures represent a major escalation because they specifically target foreign businesses rather than just Americans and aim to deter foreign companies from doing business with GAESA by threatening sanctions exposure.
LeoGrande acknowledged the measures could deprive the Cuban government of revenue but argued the broader population is likely to suffer most.
CUBA'S ENTIRE ELECTRICAL GRID COLLAPSES, LEAVING WHOLE ISLAND WITHOUT POWER
"This would potentially deprive the Cuban government of funds, but the impact will fall mainly on ordinary citizens because it means the government has fewer resources to import food, medicine and fuel," he said.
The debate comes as Cuba faces its deepest economic and humanitarian crisis in years.
The World Food Programme says food insecurity is worsening amid fuel shortages, inflation and declining access to imported goods, while U.N. officials have warned that electricity shortages and blackouts are disrupting hospitals, vaccination programs and food distribution networks across the island.
LeoGrande also warned tougher sanctions could contribute to another migration crisis.
NICARAGUA BLOCKS PATHWAY USED BY CUBAN MIGRANTS TO REACH THE US
"Another unintended effect is that by making living conditions in Cuba even more desperate, tougher sanctions could trigger a mass migration like we saw in 1980 or 1994," LeoGrande said.
On background, a U.S. official rejected arguments that American sanctions are responsible for Cuba’s humanitarian crisis.
"The suffering of the Cuban people is not caused by the U.S. embargo but by the Cuban dictatorship’s failed Communist policies and human rights violations," the official told Fox News Digital. "The embargo does not prohibit Cuba’s access to world markets or trade with third countries."
The official added that U.S. law explicitly permits exports of food, medicine and medical equipment to Cuba and accused the regime of hiding "billions in overseas bank accounts instead of investing in electricity, infrastructure and the daily needs of its people."
The debate mirrors long-standing arguments surrounding U.S. sanctions on countries like Iran and Venezuela, where supporters view economic pressure as a tool to weaken authoritarian governments while critics argue regimes often survive and civilians absorb the economic damage.
Meizlish argued sanctions should not be judged simply by whether they immediately topple governments.
"The problem isn’t that the embargo went too far," he said. "It’s that it didn’t go far enough."
Fox News Digital reached out to the Cuban Embassy in Washington for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Brandon Aiyuk drove 104 MPH near Levi's Stadium and filmed it, now a warrant has been issued for his arrest
At some point, Brandon Aiyuk has to learn that stupid decisions come with consequences. The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver may be about to get that lesson after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest over an alleged 104 miles per hour speeding incident.
Aiyuk will be arrested because the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office has issued a misdemeanor arrest warrant for the charge of exhibition of speed, a misdemeanor, a spokesperson confirmed to OutKick and Fox News. The California Post was first to report the warrant's existence.
The reasoning behind the warrant is Aiyuk's December 2025 driving escapades through Northern California, including the part where he sped past the 49ers' practice facility at 104 mph.
We know he was driving 104 mph because Aiyuk took a video of the episode and published it on social media for everyone to see.
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Aiyuk posted the video on Dec. 20, 2025, showing himself driving a Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing through Santa Clara near Levi's Stadium and the 49ers' practice facility. The video showed Aiyuk reaching 104 mph on Tasman Drive, where the posted speed limit is 40 mph.
Other portions of the video showed Aiyuk reaching speeds exceeding 110 mph.
Aiyuk, 28, had time on his hands to get behind the wheel and video himself and then post it because he was at the time absent from team activities and facing questions about his future with the 49ers organization.
The fallout was immediate. Santa Clara police opened an investigation into the video and later referred the case to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
Yes, Aiyuk eventually issued a public apology, acknowledging that his actions were a mistake. But the incident became symbolic of a tumultuous year in which the receiver earned more than $24 million without playing a game, remained away from the team, saw future guarantees voided and finished the season on the reserve/left squad list.
Aiyuk's future with the 49ers is darker than the cell he's about to be held in once he turns himself in or is caught. San Francisco general manager John Lynch has said multiple times that Aiyuk has played his last game with the team.
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"I think it's safe to say he's played his last snap with the 49ers," Lynch said earlier this offseason. "It's a situation that just went awry."
The Niners have tried to trade Aiyuk but, well, no luck. They haven't been able to contact him consistently for most of the offseason.
That has been a signal to other teams that Aiyuk will eventually be released. He has no future with the club, and his current $120 million contract is prohibitive to inherit in a trade, especially considering he did not play at all in 2025 while rehabilitating a serious knee injury and now faces legal trouble stemming from an alleged speeding incident.
Since it is now past June 1, the 49ers can cut Aiyuk while suffering much less onerous salary cap penalties. The team releasing Aiyuk now would carry approximately $7 million in dead money this coming season to escape the deal. The club would also carry over $7 million in dead money the next couple of years and approximately $4 million in 2029.
Can it get worse? Yes.
Because Aiyuk will be arrested and could be convicted of the misdemeanor driving charge, he could thus be investigated by the NFL under the league's Personal Conduct Policy. That policy gives the league broad latitude to suspend players that bring the NFL into a negative light regardless of whether they are convicted of a crime or not.
Do stupid things, win stupid prizes.
Nick Saban urges Senate to pass legislation to fix college sports, but coaching contracts glossed over
The ongoing debate over whether Congress should intervene in college sports took center stage in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday as Nick Saban headlined a group of witnesses warning that the current system is unsustainable without federal legislation.
There’s little doubt that NIL and the transfer portal have created a host of challenges. Some schools are spending upward of $40 million on football rosters for the upcoming season, while constant player movement has left athletic departments scrambling to adapt.
It's easy to see why many schools believe they're facing an increasingly difficult road ahead. Obviously, this is the main reason why Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) spent countless hours piecing together a bipartisan bill.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Yes, there were also plenty of points made from witnesses regarding some conferences (SEC and Big Ten) essentially standing on their own above others like the ACC and Big 12 in terms of revenue generated through television deals.
But, there seemed to be a slight disconnect between those testifying on Wednesday and the fans who live for college sports.
The invited guests included Saban, Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua, Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould, West Virginia President Gordon Gee and Utah DE Lance Holtzclaw, who all testified before the Senate Commerce Committee.
Sen. Maria Cantwell pointed out that she believes the reason why both the ACC and Big 12 sent letters of support for the Protect College Sports Act centered around those conferences not wanting to be left for dead, like the Pac-12 was just a few years ago following a raid on their teams.
"They think that [what happened to the Pac-12 is] what's going to happen to them next. That somebody's going to come and rearrange the deck chairs of those conferences, steal the schools with the eyeballs."
As for the portal, Nick Saban did not have a problem bringing up the current situation between Ole Miss and Clemson, which some on social media thought was a former Alabama coach taking another shot at the Rebels.
NCAA INVESTIGATES AFTER DABO SWINNEY RAISES TRANSFER PORTAL TAMPERING ACCUSATIONS AGAINST OLE MISS
"We have nothing to control tampering. You know, Clemson had a player that was on campus for a whole week, and they (Ole Miss) come and got him off the campus and took him someplace else," Saban lamented.
There were also some witnesses who decided to play the hits, especially when discussing the current models around NIL and collectives that have been a strong arm of financing for rosters across.
Heading into the hearing, we all wondered how former Alabama coach Nick Saban would handle the moment, given that both the SEC and Big Ten came out against the bill on Tuesday evening.
But, it didn’t take long for him to get going, though he could’ve used a cup of coffee of Ted Cruz.
"I could use a little bit of that Cuban coffee becuase I didn’t sleep much last night because of this hearing," Saban pointed out. "What is our guiding principles for the future of college athletics?"
The conversation quickly shifted to the cost of rosters, which I don't think the Crimson Tide are going to get much sympathy from.
Brendan Sorsby gambled on his own team, yet the NCAA is somehow the bad guy in this case
As Nick Saban mentioned, the former Alabama coach insists that the current system is going to be the downfall of athletic programs across the country.
"But that is not the same thing as turning NIL into a pay-for-play system. It is not the same thing as using collectives and outside entities to create a bidding war for recruits and transfers. When the system becomes whoever raises the most money gets the best players, then we are no longer talking about college athletics as millions of fans and I have known it."
OK, but while Nick Saban and others brought up the current system that in their eyes will officially open the dam, there was little talk about how much money coaches are currently making in college athletics.
We can discuss the costs of rosters, but at the same time we are seeing head coaches across college football making upward of $13 million per season for their services.
So, the argument over roster costs can fall on deaf ears for some, which was evident by the reaction on social media from those who were.
But, maybe the most important witness of the day was Utah defensive end Lance Holtzclaw, who was asked for his thoughts on the current system, along with what he thought about sports agents currently working within the space.
No matter who was speaking on Wednesday, there is not going to be much sympathy from the fans regarding the current problems.
For over three hours, Senate Commerce Committee members asked about the state of college athletics, and what could be done to fix it. During that time, we heard about how bad NIL and the transfer portal are for the game, but we barely heard anything about the lucrative salaries of coaches across different sports.
We were consistently told that the portal is this horrendous apparatus and that agents are not helping the current problem, which I understand to a degree, but there was a lack of discussion around coaches being used for leverage to land the next job or how an opening at one school can lead to frenzy at another.
One of the most interesting aspects of this hearing was where witnesses were seated. Lance Holtzclaw transferred to Utah after his former head coach Kalen DeBoer left Washington for the Alabama job, which was vacant because the key witness retired.
So, Nick Saban and Lance Holtzclaw sitting at the same table during this hearing is fitting for the state of college athletics.
Now, we move to the next phase, which will have amendments presented to the current legislation.
This could start next week, and the reactions from Wednesday's hearing will continue for days to come.