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You paid for it. So why is your device showing ads?
You paid for the product. So why does it feel like the company still controls the screen? That is the question more of us are starting to ask as smart devices get updated long after we bring them home. A refrigerator can show ads in your kitchen. A car can flash offers on the dashboard. Even a Windows 11 computer can surface promotions before you get to work.
The frustrating part is that this often happens through software updates. You tap update because you want your device to stay secure and work properly. Then one day, the product you bought starts acting like a billboard. This is also why it pays to understand the hidden privacy clauses and settings that come with smart products before those screens start doing things you never expected.
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Samsung Family Hub refrigerators are sold as connected kitchen hubs. You can use the screen for weather, calendars, grocery lists and other household features. But as we discussed on The CyberGuy Report podcast at CyberGuy.com, that same screen can also become a place for ads after a software update. Samsung began showing ads on some Family Hub refrigerator Cover Screens in the U.S. We reached out to Samsung about this, and a spokesperson provided us with this statement:
"Last year, Samsung piloted a new Cover Screen widget on Family Hub refrigerators in the U.S. The widget rotates through useful information like weather, news, calendar events, and curated ads. After the pilot concluded in March, the widget was launched fully with the same user experience.
Users can turn off the Cover Screen widget, including ads, in the Advertisements tab of the Settings menu (Settings > Advertisements > Cover screen Ads) without impacting any other features or functions. Ads can also be dismissed on the Cover Screens where shown, meaning that the dismissed ad will not appear again during that specific ad's campaign period. Since the start of the pilot program last October, our review has indicated consumers are finding value in this new widget. The percentage of users who have turned off the feature is in the low single-digits.
A Cover Screen appears when the Family Hub screen is idle, and the widget only appears on the Weather, Color, and Daily Board themes. The widget does not appear on the Cover Screen's Art or Album themes."
That answer is important because Samsung says you can turn the Cover Screen ads off without losing other features. Still, the larger point remains. You bought a refrigerator, then a later update added an ad experience to the screen in your kitchen.
On the Family Hub screen:
You can also change the Cover Screen theme. Samsung says the widget does not appear on Art or Album themes.
Now move from the kitchen to the driveway. Some Jeep, Ram and Chrysler drivers previously saw promotional messages on their infotainment screens through Stellantis' Uconnect system.
Stellantis, the automaker behind Jeep, Ram, Chrysler and Dodge, says its In-Vehicle Message technology, or IVM, is designed to help the company stay in contact with owners at important points during ownership. The company says it uses IVM for important messages, such as vehicle recalls and vehicle health monitor alerts. Stellantis also confirmed that the earlier pop-up promotions were part of its in-vehicle messaging or Uconnect communication system. However, the company says it has not run the promotional in-vehicle messages referenced in those reports since mid-fall 2025 and has nothing planned for future in-vehicle promotional messages.
At the time those promotional messages were active, Stellantis says owners could opt out by calling customer service or by updating their profile or Message Settings on their vehicle brand's website account, such as a Ram owner account. That update is important. There are no current promotional in-vehicle messages to opt out of, according to Stellantis. Still, the larger concern remains: modern vehicles are software-driven, and the screen in the middle of your dashboard can be changed long after you drive off the lot.
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A car screen is different from a phone app or website. You use that display for directions, music, climate controls and vehicle settings. So when a promotional message appears there, it can feel more personal than an ad on a webpage.
To be fair, in-vehicle messaging can serve an important purpose. Recall notices and vehicle health alerts can help owners respond to safety or maintenance issues faster.
However, promotional messages hit differently. You are sitting in a car you paid tens of thousands of dollars for. That screen should help you drive, maintain your vehicle and get where you are going without feeling like another place for a sales pitch.
Then there is your computer. Windows 11 can show promotional content in places that feel like part of the operating system. That includes the lock screen, the Start menu and account-related notifications.
The lock screen can use Windows Spotlight, which displays rotating images along with tips, tricks and notifications. Start menu settings also include areas where Microsoft can show recommendations and account prompts.
Some of these messages may look like helpful notices. Others can feel like upsells. The most annoying ones are the alerts that look urgent, then steer you toward a Microsoft service such as OneDrive backup. Microsoft declined to comment for this story.
You can cut down on much of this in Settings.
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Microsoft may change wording over time, so look for anything tied to recommendations, tips, suggestions, offers or account notifications. For more Windows settings help, see these Windows 11 tips.
The real problem isn’t one ad on one screen. It is the fact that software gives companies a way to change products after you buy them. A refrigerator used to stay a refrigerator. A car dashboard used to do what it did on the day you drove off the lot. A computer operating system used to feel like the tool you used to get things done.
Now those screens can change later. A company can add a widget, promote a service or push an offer through an update. That does not mean every update is bad. Security fixes are essential. Bug fixes help. New features can be useful. However, ads feel different when they arrive after you already paid for the product. That is why you should keep your devices updated, but also check what changed after the update installs.
Before you buy a smart appliance, connected car or computer, think beyond the hardware. Ask what kind of software controls the screen. Check whether ads, recommendations or promotional content can be turned off.
After setup, go through the settings before you assume the default experience is the only option. Look for menus labeled ads, recommendations, notifications, tips, offers or personalization. If you are setting up a new device, this new electronics setup guide is a good place to start.
Also, pay attention after updates. If a new widget or pop-up appears, do not assume you have to live with it. There may be a buried toggle that turns it off. Most of all, remember that a screen in your home, car or office has value. Companies know that. You should know it too.
This is exactly why we covered this on The CyberGuy Report podcast at CyberGuy.com. It hits a nerve because you already paid for these products, yet companies can still use software updates to claim space on the screens you see every day. Samsung says Family Hub Cover Screen ads can be turned off. Stellantis says its vehicle promotions stopped in the fall of 2025. Windows 11 gives you some settings that reduce tips, suggestions and account prompts. Still, the pattern is hard to ignore. Companies are learning how to keep making money from a product after the sale. That may be great for them, but it can feel pretty lousy when the screen is inside your kitchen, your car or your computer. When you pay thousands of dollars for a product, that screen should work for you instead of becoming another place for a company to sell to you.
Which screen ad would bother you most: one on your refrigerator, one on your computer or one in your car? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Trump AG pick Todd Blanche faces Senate test in first major confirmation fight since Graham’s death
Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche will face senators Wednesday in a high-stakes confirmation hearing that will test Republican unity on the Senate Judiciary Committee in the first major nomination fight since the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham.
"My colleagues and I are working to fill Senator Graham’s seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee before the Committee votes on Todd Blanche’s nomination next week," Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn told Fox News Digital.
"I look forward to confirming Mr. Blanche as Attorney General so he can continue his great work to crack down on crime, eradicate the two tiers of justice, and wipe out fraud. That’s exactly what Lindsey would’ve wanted us to do to honor his legacy," she added.
Republicans are navigating their first major nomination battle without Graham—a former Judiciary Committee chairman whose courtroom-style questioning and command of confirmation fights made him one of the GOP's most influential voices.
Blanche has been a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, first serving as his personal defense attorney before helping lead his criminal defense against cases Trump and his allies denounced as politically motivated.
He was appointed by Trump as Deputy Attorney General when the president returned to office before being tapped to fill former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s shoes.
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"When the Corrupt Biden ‘Injustice’ Department and Radical Left Prosecutors tried to throw me in jail, and interfered in our Historic 2024 Presidential Campaign, Todd stood by my side and fought off the Lawfare," Trump posted in part on Truth Social Tuesday.
Twenty conservative leaders penned a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, urging him to confirm Blanche, arguing that he has already proven he will "fight back."
The letter, exclusively shared with Fox News Digital and spearheaded by the Article III Project, was signed by conservative legal figures including Article III Project founder Mike Davis, America First Legal Executive Director Gene Hamilton, John Eastman of the Claremont Institute, and others. The signers cited Blanche’s clerkships, his time as a federal prosecutor and his work in private practice.
"Blanche made a tremendous sacrifice, walking away from a massive salary as a partner at a premier law firm to defend President Trump when almost no one else would," read the letter.
"He stood in the arena. Most importantly, he won. Blanche fought back against the most nakedly partisan prosecution in modern American history: Alvin Bragg’s absurd attempt to transform a lawful nondisclosure agreement into 34 felony counts," it continued.
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Democrats have already signaled strong opposition to making Blanche’s acting appointment permanent, citing his close ties to Trump.
"He's got a record. It's not what he says. It's what he's done and what he's consistently done is put Donald Trump above everything else. So his actions, this is a person who's got a very clear record," Vermont Sen. Peter Welch said Tuesday. "His actions speak much louder than whatever he says in the hearing."
"40+ civil rights organizations just came out against Todd Blanche. Todd Blanche is indicting civil rights champions, protecting insurrectionists, and firing prosecutors. All to protect Donald Trump—not YOU," Senate Judiciary Democrats wrote on X.
"Acting AG Todd Blanche has spent this confirmation fight doing what he's always done for his client Donald Trump: Denying the obvious, defending the indefensible, and lying under oath. He's already made it clear that we can’t trust a word that comes out of his mouth," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday.
As for the conservative leaders who are urging Grassley to swiftly confirm Blanche, they say the "case for confirmation is simple."
"Blanche already knows the job. He already knows the department. He is already executing the Trump agenda. Forcing a new nominee through the confirmation process would squander months of irreplaceable momentum–months the deep state would use to run out the clock. There is no reason to delay and every reason to act. The undersigned urge you to confirm Todd Blanche now," they wrote.
The hearing begins Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Fox News’ Caroline Miller contributed to this report.
Prince Harry longs for his old royal life as America isn't what he expected, experts say
Prince Harry will always have a soft spot for his home country, even as he continues to navigate life in America.
The claim was made by Dan Wakeford, founder of the weekly pop-culture newsletter Celebrity Intelligence. A veteran celebrity media editor, Wakeford previously led People, Entertainment Weekly and Us Weekly.
Wakeford told Fox News Digital that, according to sources who spoke with Celebrity Intelligence, the Duke of Sussex continues to greatly miss the U.K. and the role he once held there as he tries to carve out a meaningful role for himself in California.
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"Harry particularly doesn't love the life he has in America," Wakeford said. "He misses his family, his friends and his former existence in the U.K. Sources say he would be content to downsize and have a smaller life instead of living on such a grand scale, but I think that is more Meghan [Markle]'s [style]."
Archewell, which handles the offices of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, told Fox News Digital, "It's all unfounded speculation, of which we don't comment."
While Wakeford described Harry as longing for aspects of his former life in Britain, the duke recently took a step toward reconnecting with his family.
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On July 10, Harry, Meghan and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, met with King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House, Buckingham Palace confirmed. Fox News Digital reached out to the palace and Archewell for comment.
The family gathering came after Harry arrived in the U.K. on July 6 for several charity events that were overshadowed by speculation about whether he would meet with his father.
The meeting marked the first time in years that King Charles had hosted Harry and his family, amid a rift that began after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals and moved to California in 2020.
"I think it's important to make the point that Harry's marriage is a happy one," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital.
"The problem is that Harry is without a proper role. He has the Invictus Games, yes, but I do think he misses aspects of life in the U.K. and the friends he has kept there. He has charities he supports there, and his mother is buried there. While he had a difficult week during his visit, the meeting with the king and his family was a positive."
"Seeing the 'good ol' Harry' playing wheelchair rugby with Invictus Games participants showed him grinning ear to ear," British royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. "He was so happy in his element. Meeting with his father also would have reminded him of the prominent life he once led."
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"Harry and Meghan's life is very different from what they expected in America, from what they hoped for," Wakeford said. "What has shifted significantly is the gap between what they said they were building and what they actually built. They left the royal family to become financially independent."
"The headline numbers of $100 million from Netflix deals and $20 million for Spotify always obscured what the real figures were," Wakeford said, referring to the deals the Sussexes initially secured to lead financially independent lives.
"The Netflix deal was closer to $60 million, and the Spotify deal was $5 million to exit early," he claimed. "That's a significant amount of money, but their costs are also extremely high, and they don't have a sustainable business model."
Questions about the Sussexes' long-term future come as Harry has increasingly spoken publicly about wanting to repair his relationship with his family while continuing to build a life in California.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as working royals in 2020, citing relentless intrusions by the British press and a lack of support from the palace.
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Tensions within the House of Windsor have remained high since the couple stepped away from royal duties and moved to California to pursue media ventures outside the monarchy. Harry's bestselling 2023 memoir, "Spare," further strained his relationship with the royal family.
In a 2025 interview with the BBC, Harry said he "would love reconciliation with my family" because "there's no point in continuing to fight anymore."
"I miss parts of the U.K., of course I do," he said. "And I think that it's really quite sad that I won't be able to show, you know, my children."
"He misses what he knows," British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. "His titles give him status and a sense of achievement and credibility. His royal connection is everything he knows and, I'm sure, what he pines for deep down."
Harry and his father met briefly for tea in September during the prince's short visit to London, marking the first time they had seen each other in well over a year. Harry has also wanted his children to spend more time with the monarch, whom they first met during celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
"Folks close to them say that within five years, they need to figure out what their strategy is," Wakeford said. "They're not bankrupt, and those headlines aren't true. They're not running out of money. But they do have to balance their costs against their future income."
On Harry's 40th birthday in 2024, Roya Nikkhah, royal editor of The Sunday Times, reported that the prince's friends suggested he spent much of his time "looking back."
"I know how important it is for him to have a happy, settled family life, but you need to do more than that if you’re him," a source who has known Harry since his teenage years told Nikkhah. "He has ended up isolated from his family and most of his old mates, in an environment where your friendships are not like the ones you forged as a young man."
"He used to love a night out in the pub and hanging out in the country with friends," said the source. "Maybe he has grown into a different person, but do I think he’d really suit the Californian lifestyle? No. Now that we’ve seen it all play out, what has that left him with? On the surface, an enviable lifestyle — but for the Harry I know, I can’t imagine that gilded exile in California is where he wanted to end up."
Fox News Digital reached out to Archewell for comment at the time.
"He loves his family life out in the States," Nikkhah later told Fox News Digital. "He’s thrilled to be a dad. I suppose for him, it’s just finding a role — a really meaningful role going forward. The Invictus Games are fantastic, and he does great work there, and that will continue. But I think for him going forward, it’s finding a meaningful role for himself living out in the States on the global stage."
In his 2022 Netflix series, Harry admitted, "I miss my friends … I’ve lost a few friends in this process."
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"There is so much about America to love, and he has embraced so much so quickly," Fordwich previously told Fox News Digital.
"There is nothing he has ever said or done that could be seen as bad-mouthing England. His family, yes. The 'Firm,' yes. But not his beloved England. He has certainly wavered over becoming an American and has shared his nostalgia with close friends, telling them he misses England. Many of them believe he's desperately lonely in California."
"I would not be surprised to see him return, if only for a short time each year," Fordwich added.
Social media erupts with mockery as Dem Senate candidate's pep talk goes viral: 'Is this for real?'
In an attempt to inject some energy into her Senate campaign during a recent campaign stop, Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., inadvertently created a moment that sparked online mockery.
"I am going to be working on our behalf. I am going to be telling the stories on our behalf. And you better believe I’m going to bring it with a little bit of enthusiasm, a little bit of energy and a little bit of stick-it-to-them," Stevens said.
"Because that’s the Michigan way, right?"
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The remarks, which come just three weeks until Michigan’s Senate primaries, are raising criticisms that Stevens is not charismatic enough to take on progressive Democratic challenger Abdul El-Sayed.
"Maybe Abdul El-Sayed is winning hearts and minds in liberal Michigan … or maybe he’s just running against this?" Brent Scher, editor-in-chief for the Daily Wire, said in a post to X.
In recent weeks, the Michigan primary has drawn national attention as it pits El-Sayed, a candidate pushing the party farther left on issues like healthcare and international affairs, against Stevens, an establishment figure with the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Those lines grew clearer as a third Democratic candidate, Mallory McMorrow, dropped out of the race earlier this month, taking away a third, more middle-of-the-road option.
It’s unclear whether El-Sayed or Stevens will benefit more from McMorrow’s exit.
Despite El-Sayed having drawn criticism for stances such as abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), demanding that the U.S. reconsider its partnership with Israel, and past calls to defund the police, he has mounted a campaign that has gained national attention and momentum among progressives.
While Stevens has largely avoided controversy of her own, her presentation on the campaign trail continues to raise skepticism among critics.
"Is this for real?!" Fox News Political Analyst Lisa Boothe wrote on X.
"I just want to know why, and when, she chose to adopt this fake accent?" Chris Gustafson, the communications director for the Senate Leadership Fund wrote on X. "Stevens’ ads from 2018 sound like an entirely different person. Make it make sense."
"Again, national press, you gotta stop calling this a Michigan accent," he added in another X post. "It’s offensive."
Mario Nawfal, a social media personality, also pointed out the awkwardness of the Saturday clip.
"Republicans are trolling Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens HARD, saying she sounds just like Chris Farley. If she wins, they say they’ll be forced to live in a van, down by the river," Nawful wrote.
"Move over, David Goggins, I’ve got Haley Stevens in my headphones," Nathan Brand, a communications advisor for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) said sarcastically, referring to a famous motivational speaker.
Meghan McCain, another political commentator, compared the display to a moment that might appear on a sitcom.
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"How is this not a character from Parks & Rec?" McCain said, referring to the political comedy based in Indiana.
Once having cleared the primary on Aug. 4, either Stevens or El-Sayed will advance to the state’s general election on Nov. 3.
Scientists may have found a way to make sausage rolls and flaky pastries much healthier
A healthier version of the classic sausage roll could eventually become a reality as Scottish researchers develop a plant-based alternative to traditional pastry fats.
Scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, recently reached a new milestone toward making a healthier sausage roll without sacrificing flaky pastry by moving their experiment from the lab to their food industry partner's kitchen, the university announced in a news release.
"By taking innovative food science out of the lab into the kitchen and testing it with everyday consumers, it has the potential to make the nation's favorite snacks healthier and make a genuine difference to our health and wellbeing," said Stephen Euston, a professor working on the pastry research.
Sausage rolls are a British favorite that consist of seasoned sausage meat baked in puff pastry.
"Around 10-15 million sausage rolls are sold a week in the UK, and the bestselling version contains 11 to 12.4 grams of saturated fat," Euston said. "That's more than 60% of the recommended daily limit for adults."
The scientists' goal, Euston said, is to produce a pastry with the same flavor and texture people are used to, but with less saturated fat.
"We're focused on sausage rolls, but this also applies to other baked goods that contain laminated pastry, such as croissants, Danish pastries and sweet or savory turnovers," he said.
Making flaky pastry is a notoriously tricky process that typically involves butter or lard layered between sheets of dough.
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"When the pastry bakes, steam forces those layers apart and gives you that flaky texture people expect," Euston said. "Simply replacing the fat with a healthier oil doesn't work, because liquid oils lack the structure needed to separate the pastry layers."
Plant-derived oils – such as sunflower and rapeseed – are normally liquid at room temperature. Euston and his team are using a process called oleogelation to make the plant-based oils mimic traditional solid fats while offering reduced saturated fat.
"We're interested in oils from crops that can be grown sustainably in the U.K. in order to minimize the impact on the environment," Euston said.
While the early findings are promising, Skaneateles, New York-based dietitian Kelly Springer told Fox News Digital it's too soon to conclude whether the technology will ultimately produce a healthier food product.
"There is not quite enough research behind this product to either say if it's good or better for you," Springer, who was not involved in the research, said. "It seems promising; however, we would need to have more research to support the claims."
The research comes as seed oils have become the focus of a heated political and nutritional debate in the United States.
Critics, notably followers of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, allege that consuming large quantities of refined seed oils, commonly found in highly processed foods, leads to increased inflammation and other health problems.
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U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has referred to seed oils as "poison" and advocates for replacing them with animal fats, such as beef tallow and butter.
Others argue there is limited scientific evidence to support MAHA's claims about seed oils and say they are healthier because they contain less saturated fat.
"We are aware of the concerns on social media of the supposed health risks from consuming seed oil," Euston told Fox News Digital. "We do not agree with these concerns and would refer you to the reports by highly respected, scientifically credible institutions such as the British Heart Foundation and Johns Hopkins University."
The Heriot-Watt University researchers' oleogelation technology promotes the use of cold-pressed seed oil, Euston noted.
"In this process, the only processing is through a mechanical press followed by filtration," Euston said. "This does not involve any form of chemical processing."
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An advantage the Heriot-Watt scientists said their research could bring to bakers is the reduced need to chill pastry dough repeatedly.
"We are hoping our oleogels will stay stable at higher temperatures, which means manufacturers may not have to chill the pastry as much," Euston said. "If we are lucky, they might not need to chill it at all."
'The wind and drift patterns tell a story,' Cajun Navy official says of missing Mississippi teen found dead
Questions remain in the death of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells, who disappeared during a weekend of partying with friends on a boat trip.
Wells was found dead on Horn Island two days after he went missing from the boat on the Fourth of July.
An official with the United Cajun Navy, a search and rescue organization, confirmed to Fox News Digital that Wells' body was discovered on July 6.
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"It was actually a ranger from the National Park Service that discovered his body and called it in," said vice president Brian Trasher.
He said he joined the mission to try and find the teen when his organization was contacted on social media.
"Throughout the morning, we were talking with locals, trying to get any kind of intel on the last sighting or anything that could help," he said.
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He says the search effort relied on the help of boats and an aircraft. "We were in the air about two hours before we noticed the activity on the beach," he goes on to say, "We were searching where the wind and drift patterns were taking the current."
Rumors are swirling online as to the circumstances that led up to Wells' becoming separated from his friends and the boat.
Trascher said, "There’s no evidence to suggest that he was dumped on an island and left for dead."
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"The working theory is that he drowned," he said.
He told Fox News Digital Wells' body was found "washed right back" close to where he was last seen.
Trascher said, "That tells me he didn’t go that far out." He went on to say, "The wind and drift patterns tell a story."
It's important to note that the organization is not leading the investigation, the Jackson County Sheriff's Department is.
"I’m not a medical professional. I’m not a professional investigator. I’m a search-and-rescue guy," Trascher said.
The official cause of death has not yet been announced by authorities.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Department continues to investigate Wells' death and has asked the public to come forward with any information.
Wells' family has hired attorney Ben Crump to represent them.
"The family is calling for a thorough and transparent investigation into how Nolan died," the firm said.
Inside MLB CBA negotiations as Manfred, players union exec discuss issues as sides attempt to save 2027 season
The 2026 MLB All-Star Game may have been the last we see for quite a while — and, unfortunately for baseball fans, that is not hyperbole.
The clock has been ticking for a while, but now, an impending MLB work stoppage is upon us. The current collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, and even this one took numerous leaps and hurdles to reach an agreement.
The 2022 season was delayed due to an owners' lockout after the expiration of the previous CBA the prior December. However, the sentiment at the time among baseball experts was, if you thought that was bad, wait until 2026.
Well, 2026 is here, and they weren't kidding.
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In the days of the largest contracts in the history of the sport, baseball has reached an impasse of large-market teams taking over players, dollars and — in more recent years — titles, while small-market teams are being left out to dry more than ever.
The history of every ripple effect stretches back to even before Marvin Miller ever held a baseball, but the writing for these contentious talks has been on the wall since the negotiations five years ago.
And with baseball potentially seeing a fourth straight year of increased attendance for the first time since 2004 to 2007, the game cannot afford any missed opportunities that will deter the fans away from the diamond.
So, here is everything to know about the negotiations, what each side wants, and what could happen as the negotiations play out.
One side would argue this is all the Los Angeles Dodgers' fault. They signed Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million contract ahead of the 2024 season, which was the first contract in baseball to surpass even $500 million, and 98% of that deal is deferred until after the contract is up. In total, the Dodgers' current AAV payroll is over $440 million, a far cry from the Miami Marlins' $81 million, all while dozens of millions are deferred.
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In this world of insane contracts, only a handful of teams are constantly in the conversation to sign star free agents. The Dodgers and New York Yankees have always been in it, and the New York Mets have recently joined the fray thanks to Steve Cohen, who signed Juan Soto to a $765 million contract. Other teams are sometimes in the mix, but it's normally unrealistic to consider them true threats for those types of megadeals.
The other side, however, may blame the small-market teams, who have multi-billionaire owners, but their payrolls are just a fraction of that. The bottom five payrolls in the league add up to just over $500 million, which is less than what the Dodgers will be spending post-luxury tax penalties.
Case in point, there are extremes on both sides — two teams don't even have payrolls of nine figures. The Marlins' payroll is actually roughly half of what it used to be in 2017, despite a sale of the team and everyone in the league making more money than ever. The Dodgers have already committed more money in 2030 than 12 teams have this season.
The league wants a salary cap, and not much is going to get in its way.
"I have an ownership group that is more united than any group in my entire time in baseball," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said on Tuesday ahead of the All-Star Game.
Manfred added that owners are simply "listening to our fans" regarding a salary cap and said it "defies human experience ... to think that the bottom end of that [payroll] gap has the same opportunity to win the top end." The owners are even willing to split their local television rights deal if there is a cap.
"What our fans in a number of our markets are telling us, better than half of them, is there's a lack of competitive balance in the game. And everything we propose is directed at addressing that fan concern," Manfred said. "I believe that in order for this game to reach its full potential, we need to continue to address concerns that our fans have, particularly concerns that go to the core of what we're about — that is, competitive balance. We need to make sure that fans in markets at the beginning of the season have a realistic belief that their team has a chance to win.
"I think that we need a system where fans, particularly in smaller markets, can have some hope that the players that are signed and developed by their organizations can actually stay there through free agency. And honestly, I think we need a system where there is a more robust free-agent market. So, if you don't want to go to New York or Los Angeles, you have a realistic opportunity to get a viable free-agent contract."
The players, however, will not budge. A salary cap, which has never existed in the league, is a non-negotiable. They want the owners to spend a minimum and have no maximum.
"Salary cap is the ultimate excuse not to compete. It's the ultimate excuse for an owner to say, 'Gee, I would like to make the team better, but you know I can't,'" interim MLBPA executive director Bruce Meyer said Tuesday. "Salary caps are bad for fans. Salary caps prevent teams from doing the things that they believe are in their interest to make the team better."
MLB COMMISSIONER SAYS TRUMP 'INTERESTED' IN MLB CBA NEGOTIATIONS BUT 'WILL PASS' ON POTENTIAL HELP
"Every team in baseball can afford to compete, many are choosing not to," Meyer added. "To me, that's the biggest problem right now."
Players want to, and owners are willing to let them, become free agents earlier. As of now, players are typically under team control for six years, barring service-time manipulation (more on that soon).
The first three years are pre-arbitration, meaning the players receive the league minimum each season. Then, in each of the following three seasons, the player and team essentially agree on one-year contracts, but those discussions can grow contentious.
Now, teams can turn those six years into almost a full seven. A famous example is Kris Bryant, who in 2015 was optioned to the minor leagues for less than two weeks in order for the Chicago Cubs to get almost an extra full season of control, prompting a lawsuit.
The current CBA tries to combat the tactic in that if a prospect starts the year on the Opening Day roster and wins certain major awards, i.e., Rookie of the Year, that team could receive draft picks. Also, if a player finishes in the top two of Rookie of the Year voting, he would get a full season of service time no matter when he was called up. Pre-arbitration players can also make more money based on their in-season success.
But some teams are still willing to take the risk in an effort to hold onto their players longer. The players' wish to become free agents earlier, especially for those who don't hit free agency until after they are 30 years old, will certainly help their case.
MLB owners recently proposed a salary cap for the first time since 1994, and we all know how that went. They have also offered strict contract limits, capping the length of deals at six years at 16% of their proposed salary cap for players re-signing with clubs and five years at 15% for those who sign with different teams. That would be quite the major change, as there have been 29 contracts in MLB history totaling 10 years or longer, and it's been nearly 60 years since Al Kaline signed the first seven-year deal.
The players, on the other hand, recently offered a 28-man roster instead of the normal 26 for the first 15 days of the regular season to continue avoiding service-time manipulation.
If the long-held speculation is correct, the owners are likely going to lock out the players if a deal is not reached. As long as the players refuse a salary cap, the start of next season, at the very least, is in jeopardy.
Manfred, though, remains "an optimist."
"I truly believe that if people engage in the process, that you find ways through things," he said.
Baseball has not lost games since 1995, as the season had to be shortened by 18 games due to the players' strike that cost the 1994 postseason. But if neither side is willing to budge on essentially its top priority, unfortunate history could be made at a time when baseball is booming once again.
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Dem lawmaker says Constitution barred police from stopping her after alleged 100 mph speeding
A Democratic New Hampshire lawmaker accused of driving more than 100 mph in one case and 92 mph in another argues a centuries-old provision of the state constitution protected her from being stopped while traveling to or from legislative session, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
State Rep. Ellen Read argues police unlawfully stopped and detained her because the New Hampshire Constitution protects lawmakers from being "arrested, or held to bail" while attending, traveling to or returning from the General Court. She contends the charges stemmed from an unconstitutional stop and should therefore be dismissed.
Read was first stopped in December 2024, after authorities alleged she drove more than 100 mph on Interstate 93 in Windham. A second case followed in June 2025, when authorities accused her of driving 92 mph in a 65 mph zone in Londonderry.
In both cases, Read argued she was driving a vehicle displaying a New Hampshire State Representative license plate and told officers she was returning from a legislative session.
"At the time of the stop, Ms. Read was a sitting member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives," her petition states. "She was traveling in a vehicle bearing a New Hampshire State Representative license plate. Upon being stopped, Ms. Read informed the deputy that she was returning from the General Court."
In response to questions from Fox News Digital, Read said she is not arguing the Constitution shields lawmakers from prosecution, but instead protects them from being stopped while traveling to or from legislative duties.
JACKSON SCOLDS COLLEAGUES IN SOLO DISSENT AFTER COURT JUMPS INTO ROUTINE POLICE-STOP CASE
"The plain reading of the Constitution says that legislators cannot be stopped on their way to or from their duties," Read said. "It says nothing of being ticketed or arrested at the end of the commute, and nothing about prosecution."
"Under the plain language of the New Hampshire Constitution, defendant was unlawfully detained/seized/arrested in violation of her Legislative privilege," one motion states. "All evidence illegally obtained should be suppressed, and the charge dismissed."
At the center of Read's defense is a 1784 provision of the New Hampshire Constitution that states, "No member of the House of Representatives, or Senate shall be arrested, or held to bail, on mesne process, during his going to, returning from, or attendance upon, the Court."
Read said the provision was intended to prevent local officials from delaying lawmakers and interfering with legislative votes, not to exempt legislators from criminal liability.
FORMER WISCONSIN JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN AVOIDS JAIL TIME FOR OBSTRUCTING ARREST OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT
"It was always the commute itself that was meant to be protected... Not the legislator protected from breaking the law," she said.
Read's petition argues the New Hampshire Supreme Court has never interpreted the scope of the provision in the roughly 240 years since it was ratified, calling it a constitutional question of first impression that the state's highest court has never squarely addressed.
"The question is not whether a sitting legislator is 'above the law,'" the petition states.
Instead, Read argues lawmakers traveling to and from legislative duties should receive the same "functional analysis" applied to police officers or emergency medical technicians who violate traffic laws while performing official duties.
A judge rejected that argument in Read's first speeding case.
Court records show she was found guilty of negligent driving in August 2025 and fined $1,240, with half the fine deferred.
She was also allowed to keep her license as long as she maintained good behavior for two years, completed a safe-driving course and avoided additional moving violations.
Read later asked the New Hampshire Supreme Court to take up the constitutional question before the second speeding case proceeded. The court declined, denying her petition without prejudice and allowing her to raise the arguments again in a future appeal that complies with court rules.
Read defended her handling of the case in an Instagram statement, saying she accepted the reduced negligent driving charge "to end the case" and did not appeal the constitutional issue.
In the same statement, Read's office disputed allegations that she exceeded 100 mph, arguing the 2009 Toyota Yaris she was driving, which she said has more than 440,000 miles on it, "simply cannot go that fast."
Her office also said the officer did not use radar or clock her speed and instead estimated it while accelerating to catch up to her vehicle. Read's office further claimed a State House employee who was on the phone with her during the traffic stop later testified to an account that conflicted with the officer's version of events.
Read's office also criticized the lack of body-camera footage from the stop and said she now encourages motorists to use dashboard cameras.
Read said her challenge focuses on the legality of the traffic stops rather than the underlying charges.
"The unconstitutional manner of the stops, and not the charge, therefore, was the topic of discussion in the case," she said.
Gen Z is working hard, but the economy is putting the American dream out of reach for many
Young people are working. They're just waiting longer for the "American dream" that work was supposed to buy.
Labor force participation among Americans in their prime working years remains near its highest level in decades. Yet younger adults are buying homes later, delaying marriage and putting off having children as housing prices, elevated interest rates and other household expenses continue to outpace wage growth for many households.
The economic backdrop has come under renewed scrutiny after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested Gen Z's frustrations stem in part from "laziness."
Once her comments drew backlash, Leavitt said critics had taken her remarks out of context, arguing she was referring to young people embracing socialism and communism — not a blanket statement regarding all of Gen Z. She added that "many Gen Z Americans are hardworking, entrepreneurial, and deeply patriotic."
Generation Z, often shortened to Gen Z, includes Americans born between 1997 and 2012 , and is emerging as a growing force in both the labor market and U.S. politics.
Leavitt also claimed the Trump administration's economic agenda — including tax cuts, deregulation and other affordability-focused policies — is intended to strengthen economic conditions for younger Americans.
WE ASKED AMERICANS TO GRADE THE ECONOMY. THEN WE ASKED IF IT WOULD CHANGE THEIR VOTE.
While her remarks sparked debate, economists say today's young people entered adulthood during one of the most challenging economic environments in decades, marked by high inflation, soaring housing costs and a cooling white-collar job market.
The labor market data paint a more nuanced picture. Labor force participation among Americans ages 25 to 54 stood at about 83% in May, hovering near its highest level in decades, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Participation among Americans ages 20 to 24 has also remained above pre-pandemic levels.
"There's lazy people in every generation," Heritage Foundation Chief Economist EJ Antoni told Fox News Digital. "It doesn't matter if you're talking about the boomers, Gen Z or anybody in between."
Richard Stern, vice president of the Plymouth Institute for Free Enterprise at Advancing American Freedom, said the data suggests Gen Z's preference for flexible work should not be confused with a lack of work ethic.
"Labor participation rates for 16- to 19-year-olds, for 20- to 24-year-olds are all high," Stern said. While younger workers may prefer flexible or remote schedules. "That's not a work ethic thing. I think it's actually a preference thing," he added.
A PROBLEM HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT IS KEEPING AMERICANS FROM BUYING HOMES
Antoni pointed out how "the monthly mortgage payments on a median-priced home literally doubled during Biden's four years in office."
"You don't have to ascribe any pejoratives to young people to realize that that is completely unsustainable."
Housing affordability has deteriorated sharply over the past several years. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed from roughly 3% in early 2021 to about 6.5% today, while the median U.S. home price rose from roughly $329,000 to more than $400,000, dramatically increasing the cost of buying a home.
Stern said higher borrowing costs have made it dramatically harder for younger Americans to purchase homes and vehicles — two traditional markers of financial independence.
"Interest rates have tripled on things like cars and mortgages," Stern told Fox News Digital. "So for new workers and young families, higher inflation and much higher interest rates have made it tremendously less affordable to buy a home or a car."
Those affordability pressures have delayed more than just homeownership. The median age of a first-time homebuyer reached a record 38-years-old in 2025, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Paul Teller, a conservative strategist who previously served in the Trump-Pence White House, said Leavitt's comments surprised many conservatives because they don't reflect what he sees from young workers.
"Folks are working hard," Teller told Fox News Digital. "We're Americans, so this is what we do in our nature. Americans don't have to be told to work hard."
Teller said younger Americans are discovering that the same path to the middle class no longer delivers the same results. "The same education that their older siblings got or their parents got isn't taking them this far," he said. "The same relative wage isn't taking them as far."
The numbers suggest the challenge for many younger Americans isn't participating in the workforce. It's that work no longer buys the same milestones it once did.
Trump won’t rule out Kharg Island takeover: What a US assault could look like
Hundreds of U.S. Marines storm ashore as helicopters thunder overhead, Navy warships and fighter jets establish overwhelming air and sea superiority, and commanders issue one final warning to Iranian forces: surrender or be overrun.
That is how military experts envision the opening hours of a potential U.S. operation to seize Iran's Kharg Island—the tiny but strategically vital island that handles roughly 90% of the Islamic Republic's crude oil exports and has become the centerpiece of Washington's economic pressure campaign against Tehran.
The scenario was thrust back into the spotlight Tuesday after President Donald Trump declined to rule out taking the island. "I can't say that to you because if I did, it would be foolish," Trump told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst during an exclusive interview on ‘Special Report’ when asked directly whether he planned to seize Kharg island. He added that previous U.S. strikes intentionally avoided the island's oil facilities because they are "a chunk of the world economy."
TRUMP HAS 3 CHOICES TO DEFINE VICTORY IF HE WANTS TO BEAT IRAN. NONE OF THEM ARE EASY
"There are a lot of ways to skin this cat," Vice Adm. (Ret.) Robert Harward, former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told Fox News Digital in an interview.
Harward explained a Marine Expeditionary Unit could conduct an amphibious assault while U.S. naval and air forces establish complete control over the battlespace, giving Iranian defenders an opportunity to surrender before major fighting begins. The goal, he said, would not simply be to capture the island but to preserve the oil infrastructure that could one day serve a post-Islamic Republic government.
"The real objective at the end of the day is to minimize risk," said Harward. "Not only to your own forces, but to the people you're coming in contact with," while also limiting damage to facilities that could eventually be handed over to "a government of Iran that is focused on supporting its people, as opposed to proliferating the Islamic Revolution."
Trump's remarks echoed Harward's assessment that preserving Kharg's oil facilities would likely be a key military objective. Trump said he had instructed U.S. forces during previous strikes to "hit everything, but the oil," explaining that damaging the export terminal could have significant consequences for the global economy.
HOW IRAN ATTACKS ARE FORCING THE PENTAGON TO RETHINK ITS DECADES-OLD MIDDLE EAST BASE STRATEGY
But military experts say capturing Kharg may be the easiest part of the mission.
Located just 16 miles off Iran's Gulf coast, the eight-square-mile island sits well within range of Iranian missiles, drones and shore-based anti-ship weapons. While analysts believe U.S. forces could likely seize the island within hours, holding it against sustained retaliation from the nearby mainland could require a far larger and longer military commitment—raising the risk of direct war with Iran itself.
Kharg's strategic importance predates Iran's modern oil industry. British forces briefly occupied the island during confrontations with Persia over Herat in 1838 and again during the Anglo-Persian War in 1856, using its location near the Iranian coast to apply pressure on Tehran. Nearly a century later, Iran selected Kharg as a deep-water oil terminal because its sheltered waters could accommodate large tankers. Construction began in the late 1950s, and the terminal entered service in 1960, transforming the island into the principal outlet for Iranian crude.
"Everybody talks about seizing Kharg," Nicholas Carl, assistant director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital. "Iran has spent decades investing in denial capabilities designed specifically to keep U.S. forces away from its shores." Those capabilities include anti-ship cruise missiles, drones, naval mines and hundreds of fast attack craft designed to overwhelm superior naval forces.
IRAN'S BIGGEST WEAPON AGAINST THE US MAY BE SLIPPING AWAY, EXPERTS SAY
Military planners have long viewed Iran's anti-access strategy as one of the most sophisticated in the Middle East. Rather than matching the U.S. Navy ship for ship, Tehran has invested heavily in asymmetric weapons intended to make any amphibious assault costly.
Harward, a former member of the National Security Council and current member of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America's Iran Policy Project, acknowledged that once American forces were on Kharg, the primary danger would shift from conventional naval combat to missile and drone attacks launched from the nearby mainland.
"Iran doesn't really have air power," Harward said. "The concern is whether they launch missiles and drones at the island with U.S. forces on the ground. That's the biggest risk."
Harward said the viability of the operation would ultimately depend on intelligence about the number and disposition of Iranian forces, whether they had prepared booby traps or improvised explosive devices, and how Tehran might respond once American troops were ashore.
Still, he argued, such retaliation would come at a price for Tehran.
"If they start striking Kharg itself, they become accountable for damaging their own economic lifeline," he said.
The challenge illustrates the distinction between tactical success and strategic success. Seizing an eight-square-mile island is one military problem. Defending it against sustained attacks only a short distance from Iranian territory is another.
Harward suggested Washington still has several options short of launching an amphibious assault.
With the U.S.-led blockade, reinforced Tuesday, already constraining Iran's oil exports, he argued that additional economic pressure could target overland transportation routes, border crossings and air traffic instead of committing ground troops.
"There is still a lot you could do to enhance the economic challenges to Iran," Harward said. "Synchronizing military, economic and political pressure is really the strategy."
Some strategists have also questioned whether Kharg is the most valuable military objective.
Mark Fox, a retired Vice Admiral and a former commander of the 5th Fleet, previously told Fox News Digital that Kharg is fundamentally an oil terminal rather than a military fortress. Instead, he argued, smaller islands such as Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa—disputed islands near the Strait of Hormuz—could present more manageable military objectives while creating a significant strategic dilemma for Tehran because of their location along one of the world's most important shipping lanes.
For Harward, however, the larger question extends beyond any single island.
"I think the only real end state to ensure long-term stability and security in the region is a government of Iran that renounces the Islamic Revolution and focuses on the Iranian people," he said. That would require ending Tehran's nuclear ambitions, halting support for proxy groups, protecting freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and ending the regime's domestic repression.
Whether Washington ever decides to seize Kharg, military planners agree on one point: Capturing Iran's economic lifeline would likely be measured in hours, but successfully holding it—and managing the regional escalation that could follow — would be a far longer and more complex campaign.