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Bill Belichick avoids specifics as North Carolina launches probe into GM Michael Lombardi
Before North Carolina played its first game under Bill Belichick, off-field headlines largely drowned out the football conversation.
Now, as fall camp ramps up ahead of the former NFL coach's second season, questions are again swirling about matters away from the field. UNC officials confirmed earlier this week that general manager Michael Lombardi had been placed on leave pending an investigation. School officials announced Thursday that the probe had formally begun.
Details of the investigation remain sparse, and Belichick did little to clarify matters, appearing to sidestep questions about how Lombardi’s indefinite absence could affect the team.
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During a news conference, Belichick declined to directly address the situation. "We're working through some things," he said.
"We're at a particular time of the year now where there are certain things that are in play, and certain things that are in play that will happen later in the calendar year. So we're taking it day to day and work through the things that are on the table right now."
Shortly before Belichick made those comments, UNC issued a statement saying that "as a result of concerns behind allegations that led to the personnel action regarding Michael Lombardi announced on July 27, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, through its Office of University Counsel, is in the process of investigating this matter."
The investigation is being treated as a human resources matter, with no timeline set for a resolution. Athletic director Steve Newmark acknowledged the need for a thorough process but added that the school hopes to complete it "as quickly as possible."
"From our perspective, and I think there's a recognition across the board, that the university counsel's office is going to have this go as quickly as possible," Newmark said. "But I think it's also important they do it the right way and they gather all the information they need."
Newmark did not say whether the probe involved anyone else in the athletic department and declined to comment on reports of a separate College Sports Commission investigation into the Tar Heels' football program.
UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts initially opted against weighing in on Michael Lombardi’s situation after a regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting. But he recently expressed some frustration with the attention surrounding the issue.
"I'm disappointed that we're talking about this," Roberts said before a recent media session wrapped up. "We should be focusing on our student-athletes and on their success. ... It's distressing to me and everyone else in the administration entrusted with leadership at this remarkable university that this is something we have to spend time on."
The Tar Heels went 4-8 in Belichick’s first season at North Carolina.
Lombardi has hired attorney Tom Mars, 247Sports reported.
Mars released a statement Friday. "Michael hasn't been told anything about the nature of UNC's investigation and welcomes the opportunity to clear his name, which has already been sullied by baseless statements and innuendo on social media," the statement read.
"He is fully cooperating with UNC and expects the investigation will be swift, thorough, and fair. Michael would ask that people have the decency to let the process run its course before jumping to any conclusions about the nature of the investigation or whether there's any merit to whatever has been alleged."
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Mamdani not called to speak at NYC funeral of Army sergeant killed in Iranian attack: report
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was reportedly denied the opportunity to speak Friday during the funeral of Army Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad in Queens, one of three U.S. service members killed in Jordan during an Iranian attack on July 17.
Mamdani attended the service at a church in Ozone Park but did not deliver remarks honoring Rampersad.
According to the New York Post, Mamdani appeared to review prepared remarks on an iPad as other dignitaries spoke, but his name was never called.
A source familiar with the funeral told the New York Post that Rampersad's family chose not to have Mamdani speak in an effort to avoid any "political distractions."
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The mayor's office later released his prepared remarks.
"It is often said that our fallen 'gave their tomorrows for our today,'" Mamdani planned to say. "Sergeant Rampersad had tomorrows waiting for her: birthdays, ordinary mornings, evenings spent with her loved ones. But she gave every one of them up so that we could have ours — so that we could stand here today, safe and protected."
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, delivered remarks during the service.
"I feel after reading and admiring this woman from a distance, I feel like she could be one of my daughters," Hochul said.
The Department of War said Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, was killed in action during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
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According to U.S. Central Command, Rampersad and two other U.S. service members were killed while CENTCOM and partner forces "defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks."
The other two service members killed were identified as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. They were deployed to Jordan in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the international campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Rampersad was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52d Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany. She served as a 25U Signal Operations Support Specialist, according to the Department of War.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Mamdani's office for comment.
Fox News Digital's Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.
SEC, Big Ten agree to support historic 'Protect College Sports Act' after intense negotiations
It's only fitting that negotiations between the SEC and Big Ten over the historic "Protect College Sports Act" came down to the final days before senators could bring the legislation to the floor for a vote.
Between the late-night conversations involving senators, the White House and conferences across college athletics, everyone knew they were racing against the clock to reach a version of the bill that all sides could support.
The dire time restraints were real, along with the contentious Zoom meetings or phone calls that have taken place over the past five months.
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As Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), along with Eric Schmitt (R-MO), led the charge to present a bipartisan bill that would satisfy the power brokers, reaching an actual agreement between parties involved looked almost impossible just days ago.
"Now progress can now be made in protecting women and Olympic athletes and moving this legislation closer to the President's desk," Senator Maria Cantwell told OutKick-Fox News
And these conversations were taking place all across the country. While Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti worked the room at media days in Chicago, he remained in constant communication with conference officials while also speaking with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey as many as 10 times on Wednesday alone.
The Big Ten met at 1 p.m. ET Thursday, while the SEC, Big 12 and ACC hopped on a conference call at 4 p.m. ET. To say that this was an eventful day for congressional aides and senate staff would be an understatement.
But, none of this should come as a surprise, given that there is so much at-stake right now in college athletics.
It's politics, so this probably feels like a random Wednesday in Washington.
A White House official had this to say to OutKick-Fox News on Thursday afternoon about the ongoing negotiations:
"The White House has been following these negotiations closely, and the President has been actively engaged. President Trump wants to save college sports, and he wants the bill done"
Thursday night, sources told OutKick-Fox News that White House officials, along with members of President Trump's college sports committee, were involved in conversations on what the next steps would be to get this to the Senate floor. New York Yankees president Randy Levine and Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell have been helping lead the charge from the committee's standpoint.
On Friday afternoon, we reached back out to the White House regarding a push from President Trump to get the bill approved by all parties involved.
"At the President's direction, the White House and his College Sports Committee have been working together closely to deliver a permanent solution to the challenges plaguing college sports"
Let's be honest, all of this felt rushed, with congressional leaders working to get this to the Senate floor for a vote before they are scheduled to take their annual summer recess.
In the midst of this battle, Senate Majority Leader John Thune decided to mention that he did not think there would be enough time to get this to the floor.
What he actually did was ignite a fuse between parties involved to get this legislation sorted out enough that the SEC and Big Ten could feel as though they would be able to put their support behind the bill enough to have their conference leaders start lobbying senators across their states to say "Yes" to the bill.
On Friday evening, that patience finally paid off for everyone involved.
There were "deadlines" put into place by one side, while the others knew they had to take their time to sort through the language, knowing how big a deal this was for them to put their support behind a piece of federal legislation that would have major impacts on collegiate sports moving forward.
"This is not easy. We have university's to run, so athletics might be important, but we also have to rightfully consider everything else that is transpiring on our campuses," one Power-4 school president told OutKick-Fox News. "School is about to start back, and thousands of students are heading back to our cities.
"Obviously, we know how important athletics are to our school and the amount of money, and eyes, that it brings in. This was, and has been, an interesting time to be a college president or chancellor. There is a lot at stake here."
Whether it was closing loopholes centered around NIL deals that involved Multimedia Rights companies or a retention cap that would provide athletic departments an additional set of funds to retain athletes on rosters outside of the House settlement figure, this was going to take a while to sort out.
Majority Leader John Thune needed to file for cloture by Thursday afternoon before he left town for the weekend if this was going to be voted on next week on the Senate floor.
In essence, this became the latest deadline after earlier timelines set by a group of senators proved unrealistic.
But, here are some of the talking points discussed over the past months.
The senators involved deserve a lot of credit in trying to actually have this legislation buttoned up enough for all parties involved to put their support behind it.
Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) continued working the phones, meeting with conference members via videoconference and trying to garner the support needed from the Big Ten and SEC to push the bill forward, which came to a head Friday night.
In order for a vote to actually take place, they need to have this in a place in which Senate Majority Leader John Thune can bring this to cloture on Monday, Tuesday morning at the very latest. Senator Eric Schmitt was actually speaking with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on Thursday evening, hoping to find some type of resolution.
Schmitt even joined the SEC's call on Friday night to discuss the legislation before the vote was taken.
As for getting this to a vote, the clock was ticking and both the SEC and Big Ten knew it.
The Senate will take their August recess at the end of the next week, as they will technically still be in session on that Friday. But, there is a process to bringing this to the Senate floor, with cloture, which will begin once they arrive back in Washington on Monday.
I think we can all agree that once Congress returns in September, the chances of this being relevant dwindle. Fans are already getting tired of hearing about this legislation and are ready to see their favorite team take the field.
Compared to earlier in the week, the Protect College Sports Act it looks like it might actually have a chance at reaching the House, with some thinking this wouldn’t even make it to the Senate floor.
American climber's remains found after avalanche in Pakistan, other mountaineers still missing
The remains of an American mountain climber who got caught in an avalanche in Pakistan were found on Friday, according to Pakistani officials.
Sarah Mallory Geis was climbing Broad Peak in Pakistan's Karakoram mountain range with an international group of at least 10 people when they went missing on Thursday.
A rescue team also found the remains of Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal on Friday.
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There were signs of several more bodies where the rescue team was searching, drone footage showed, according to local officials.
At 26,414 feet, Broad Peak is the twelfth-tallest mountain in the world.
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"We hope to continue our operations, both aerial search and the ground rescue, till the time we find the survivors or the dead bodies," Irfan Arshad, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said Friday.
The rescue operation was temporarily halted Friday night due to weather conditions.
Sajid Hussain, deputy director of the tourism department in Gilgit-Baltistan, called the rescue area "remote and difficult."
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"High-altitude porters and rescue teams are working to retrieve the bodies and transport them to the base camp," the Gilgit-Baltistan police said in a Facebook post Friday. "Due to the extremely rugged terrain and challenging weather conditions, the rescue operation is being carried out with the utmost caution."
The other missing climbers are from Nepal, Pakistan, China and the U.K.
Renowned British mountaineer Nirmal Purja, 43, who is of Nepalese origin, and who set the record for the fastest ascent of the world's 14 highest mountains, was among the missing.
Purja was featured in the Netflix documentary "14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible."
Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland's top-tier summer continues, snags pinnacle of celebrity photo-ops
I hope you're having a good summer. I know I am.
But do you know who's having a better summer than the rest of us?
Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland.
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I don't care how great your trip down the Outer Banks was. It's no photo with Michael Jordan.
Haaland was one of the breakout stars of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He was all about embracing U.S. culture, and he led a Norwegian team that went way farther into the tournament than anyone was expecting.
He's had an elite summer already — even finding time to rip golf balls off of a boat while blasting Ella Langley tunes — but how does he keep it going?
By scoring one of the greatest social media celebrity photos you can possibly get, and that is a photo with His Airness.
I was thinking about this, and I don't think you can top Michael Jordan as far as celebrity photos that make just about everyone go, "Oh, hell yeah. That's awesome."
I'm not sure if anyone in sports even comes close. Brady might, and I think Gretzky is likely the closest, but I think Jordan still runs away with the crown.
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And when you open this up to anyone — even people outside the scope of sports — it's still hard to come up with any bigger catches when it comes to celebrity photos.
Maybe Sir Paul? Perhaps Keith Richards? It's truly tough to come up with any.
In fact, you might need to go back in time for a real contender. Maybe Elvis in his prime, before he discovered fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, bought a pet chimp and started thinking he could move clouds with his mind.
Although some might argue that was prime Elvis...
But anyway, the point is that on top of becoming a cross-over star among casual soccer fans at the World Cup, the Manchester City star has also scored what some believe — scientists are still working to determine it definitively — the pinnacle of social media celebrity photo ops.
Police search for gunman after Walmart employee shot during dispute in Pennsylvania
Police are searching for a gunman after an innocent Walmart employee was shot during an apparent dispute between two men inside a Pennsylvania store Friday evening, authorities said.
Officers responded to the Walmart at 50 McDade Blvd. in Darby Township, Delaware County, shortly after 7 p.m. after reports of gunfire inside the store.
Darby Township Police Chief Michael Sousa told Fox News Digital investigators believe two men got into a verbal altercation in the self-checkout area before one of them pulled out a handgun and fired.
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"It looked like, from what we're gathering with my detectives, two males get into a verbal altercation at self-checkout," Sousa said. "One of the males brandishes a firearm, fires a round indiscriminately and hits one of the female Walmart employees in the leg — not the subject he was arguing with."
The employee was transported to a hospital. Sousa did not immediately provide an update on her condition.
The suspect fled before officers arrived and remains at large.
Police are reviewing surveillance video in an effort to identify the shooter.
"There is no threat to the public," Sousa said, adding officers have cleared the Walmart and nearby businesses.
The investigation remains ongoing.
This is a breaking news story; check back later for updates.
NCAA rocked by Colorado judge's 2022 class eligibility ruling that could reshape college sports this year
The NCAA took a massive hit to its new five-and-five eligibility rule that was implemented earlier this month, thanks to a District Court judge in Colorado.
Over the past number of weeks, a plethora of lawsuits have been filed by athletes across the country who were part of the 2022 class that entered college that say the newly introduced rule by the NCAA infringes on their rights to make a living through NIL and have an additional year of eligibility.
The arguments made in court centered on the idea that players who completed their fourth year of eligibility and would have been ineligible under the previous rule should have been grandfathered in because of how the entire process unfolded this summer.
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After exhausting their fourth and final season (under previous rule), their time in college would have been completed.
This was essentially how lawyers were attacking the NCAA in a court of law, arguing that if the new five-and-five rule was being implemented, then athletes who exhausted their clock this past season under the old rule should be granted the same rights that players under the new guidelines would be entitled to.
Well, Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court of Colorado has granted a preliminary injunction that is class-wide and orders the NCAA to create a blanket waiver that grants all athletes an additional year of eligibility for the upcoming year.
"All persons in the United States who began to play in collegiate sports in the 2022–2023 season, competed in NCAA Division I sports, and completed four years of eligibility as defined by the NCAA’s prior rules by the conclusion of the 2025–2026 season, and are therefore barred from playing a fifth season due to the NCAA’s adoption and immediate implementation of the Five-Year Eligibility Rule," Judge Sweeney said in her order on Friday.
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A number of notable names in college basketball filed lawsuits against the NCAA, which included a suit that involved more than 50 different plaintiffs filed on Friday. Now, as those cases continue to play out in a court of law, one judge has ordered that all athletes hoping for an additional year are granted that right.
It should be noted that the NCAA could file an appeal in the Tenth Circuit court, which I imagine they already have prepared. But, the question now looms as to whether the NCAA should just grant a blanket waiver to all athletes, no matter the sport, that will keep the organization out of a courtroom.
Other questions have already arisen across college athletics.
How would this pertain to college football and basketball players who went undrafted over the past five months, and were now looking for an avenue back to school for an additional season if they fall under this rule?
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Multiple staffers have indicated to OutKick-Fox News that this question is currently being discussed among compliance departments across college campuses. Also, what does a school do about roster spots.
In reality, most college football and basketball rosters are filled up, but that doesn’t mean a staff couldn’t figure out a way to work the numbers. But, to do that would take finagling, given that we also don't know what the NCAA is going to do in this instance.
Just this week, the NCAA upheld a two-game suspension for Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter. The Vols football player declared for the NFL Draft following the 2025 season, only to suffer an injury just weeks later that forced him to make a tough decision about his future.
Carter decided that since he could not train for the draft, and would obviously tumble during the NFL process, he would return to college for one more season. But, according to antiquated NCAA rules, since he declared, hired an agent and accepted a $427 plane ticket to attend a training session, he was ineligible.
In the aftermath, Tennessee appealed the initial three-game suspension by the NCAA, and had it reduced to two games. But, this was obviously a unique case that could be studied by athletic departments in the coming days.
As for what happens next, it will be interesting to see how the NCAA responds. Initiate a blanket waiver or continue fighting athletes in courtrooms across the country?
We're about to find out.
New York nuns will not be forced to comply with assisted-suicide law while case progresses
A federal judge ruled this week that orders of nuns will not be forced by local state law to recommend medically assisted suicide to their patients while the case is pending in court.
Four orders of Catholic nuns and several Catholic healthcare ministries sued the state of New York in late June regarding a new law that would force them to help terminally ill patients kill themselves, a severe violation of their Catholic faith.
"Forcing Catholic nuns to participate in suicide — and robbing New Yorkers of the choice to receive faithful, life-affirming care— is both unlawful and unjust," Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and lead attorney for the healthcare ministries, said in a statement. "This agreement protects the sisters and those they care for while we fight to end New York’s suicide mandate for good."
Becket successfully appealed to a federal court to block the law before it took effect on August 5.
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The law firm summarized how dire the circumstances are in a press release on its website.
"Beginning August 5, any healthcare provider who declines to prescribe suicide pills could still have to tell terminally ill patients about their ‘right’ to kill themselves, help them meet the requirements for obtaining suicide pills, and direct them to a provider willing to prescribe the lethal drugs," the statement read.
"Refusal invites significant fines, license revocation, or even time behind bars," it continued. "Federal law forbids New York from discriminating against healthcare providers who object to assisted suicide, but New York has done so anyway."
When reached for further comment, the law firm shared multiple statements about the ongoing case from Catholic Church leaders.
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Mother Mary Rose Heery, O. Carm., Prioress General of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm replied, "Families entrust their loved ones to us because they know our homes will be places of tenderness, dignity, and faithful care. We are grateful that we can continue honoring that trust and remain beside every resident until the very end."
Sister Justyna Owsiejko, O.S.B., of the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict replied, "Our home exists so that elderly people can spend their final days surrounded by peace, prayer, and the Sisters who love them. For now, they can rest assured that assisted suicide will not be forced into the sanctuary they call home."
Bishop John O. Barres, Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York replied, "This agreement is an important first step towards protecting religious freedom. New York cannot force the Church to answer suffering with suicide or abandon the sick and dying when they need care most."
"Until our legal fight is resolved, this temporary agreement keeps our ministries free to serve every patient according to the Gospel," the bishop added. "We continue to proclaim that every human life is sacred and worthy of love until its natural end."
Liberal podcaster says he was 'doxed' by Mamdani's 'wanted poster' of property owners
Prominent liberal podcaster and NYU professor Scott Galloway called out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s publicly accessible database, saying it endangers landowners like himself.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani opened a new front in his ongoing battle with New York City's wealthy after his administration published a searchable database identifying affluent property owners who could be subject to the city's proposed pied-à-terre tax, a move critics say could expose them to harassment and public safety risks.
The database, released by the city's Department of Finance, allows users to search properties and view the names and addresses of owners whose non-primary residences could be subject to the proposed tax. A spokesperson for the department said publication of the property roll was required by state law.
Galloway was one of the database’s latest critics, calling it out on the latest episode of the "Pivot" podcast with co-host Kara Swisher, as reported by New York Magazine’s Intelligencer.
"I’ve been doxed," the liberal professor announced on the podcast. "I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Mayor Mamdani has decided to release a list of the 950,000 residences with addresses and names that might be eligible for his pied-à-terre tax."
"I don’t love this," co-host Kara Swisher agreed. "I can’t say I love this. It feels a little bit like doxing. Just tax them and get on with it is my feeling."
Galloway proceeded to read out the definition of doxing as "’publishing private identifying information to expose someone to public pressure or harm without their consent,’" and said that while he is a fan of the tax, he is not a fan of how the list has become a "wanted poster" for property owners.
"He’s taken a legitimate source of tax revenue, and he’s turning it into a wanted poster," he said of Mamdani’s tax list. "The question I would have is, other than trying to identify and imply these people have done something wrong — and then, 18 months after a healthcare CEO was executed in the street, published the list — what is the upside here? Why is he doing this?"
After also addressing Mamdani's comments about arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Galloway lamented that the New York City mayor was vindicating conservatives’ worst fears.
"He’s not only playing into the worst fears about him, but he’s making it harder for all progressives," he said. "I believe in a progressive tax structure. I believe we should raise tax rates. The Republicans, in order to create deficits and continue to transfer money from the poor to the rich, they argue that progressive tax structures are persecution. This plays exactly into that entire narrative."
"He’s implying we’ve done something wrong because we’re successful," Galloway later added. "New York is the last place you want to demonize success."
Galloway went on to argue that it goes against the very appeal of New York.
"The reason people move to New York is they think, ‘I want to be successful on Broadway. I want to be successful in business. I want to be successful in the arts. No one’s going to get in my f---ing way if I’m really talented and work hard,’" he said. "We’re going to celebrate it. We’re not going to put a big R on your door and say you’ve done something wrong because you’re successful."
One key quality Galloway noted was that "Ninety-five percent of the people on the list supposedly aren’t going to be subject to the tax. Other than implying these people have done something wrong and publishing their address without their permission, without their consent, what possible upside is there from publishing this list?"
Fox News Digital reached out to Galloway for additional comment but did not immediately receive a response.
When contacted for comment, the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) President James Whelan told Fox News Digital, "We opposed this tax in part because we warned that determining who is and is not subject to it would be extraordinarily complicated. The fact that so many owners appear to be receiving inaccurate notices raises serious questions about the City's readiness to administer the program. Even we did not expect implementation to be this flawed."
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Mamdani's office told Fox News Digital, "It is very important to note that the City publishes property tax rolls (as do other localities) and have for many years," and pointed to remarks the mayor made at a recent press conference addressing concerns.
"So, I just want to — for the sake of clarity — establish a few things," the mayor said. "The first is, and the reason for establishing this is some of them have been conflated. The first is that, just like localities from Nassau to Albany, we publish property tax rolls in accordance with the law, as the city has done twice a year for years, frankly, if not decades and centuries."
"And the tax property role that was posted last week is a reflection of all properties across New York City, not a reflection of those specifically that the pied-à-terre tax will be levied upon," Mamdani continued. "And that is an important distinction because as you've heard from the commissioner, the pied-à-terre tax is something that will be levied upon non-primary residences that are worth more than $5 million."
"When it comes to the recently passed law, there was a requirement to publish this role once again before the implementation of this surcharge," he added.
A city official noted further that state law mandates they "publish a roll of every property parcel that is subject to NYC property taxes - with ownership name, assessment, and how much taxes will be. This is not new."
"The roll is not a pied-a-terre list," the official continued. "It is a state mandated roll that has to be generated to be used as a pool/universe that DOF will examine to identify which properties are subject to a surcharge. This is separate from the 17,000 individuals who received the ‘you may be subject to...’ letter letting them know that they may be potentially subject to the second home surcharge."
"The same type of citywide property tax rolls has been published publicly on an annual basis for decades in adherence to New York State laws," the official added. "Any new type of surcharge or property taxes have gone through the same process: State passes a bill, a roll is published, and DOF uses the roll to identify the appropriate properties to levy based on parameters legally set by the State. People can search for property and property tax records by name, BBL, and address on ACRIS already."
The official also noted that Gov. Kathy Hochul stated that this is not new and highlighted a Bloomberg reporter's tweet saying "The data included in this release is regularly released as part of the city’s property tax assessment roll. It’s a huge data file that anyone can search if they have the bandwidth to download it and look. It’s not new."
The official went on to cite numerous tax rolls in other cities, including Nassau, Buffalo and Rochester, saying they have similar publicly available information.
Cam Skattebo's backflipping at Fanatics Fest reportedly earned him a talking-to from Giants
You may recall that Fanatics Fest took place a couple of weeks ago, creating an avalanche of what we in the biz call "content," with pretty much every big name in sports, entertainment and sports entertainment under one roof.
However, there may have been no story with as many legs — pun intended — as the backflip heard 'round the world from New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo.
And it reportedly got him a bit of a talking-to from some of the Giants' top brass.
Skattebo is back in action this training camp after suffering a massive leg injury last season.
Of course, that's why watching him not just try a backflip but wrench his knee while going down had some Giants fans worried.
Head coach John Harbaugh commented a few days later that his second-year running back could've "at least stuck the landing," but a report claims that was not the end of the discussions surrounding Backflipgate.
According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, Harbaugh and GM Joe Schoen talked to Skattebo about sidelining his backflip habit, which he also busted out at a charity softball game in May.
I'm sure there have been many, many talks like this in the National Football League. A coach and a GM going to a player and saying, "Hey, this part of your behavior needs to change for the good of the organization."
But has it ever centered on backflips?
There's no way, right?
Every other form of self-destructive behavior you can think of has probably come up at some point, but never before have adults had to tell another adult, "Hey, you know those backflips you do? No, we agree, they are very badass — we're just going to need you to curtail them for a bit."
Something tells me this talk won't take, and I wouldn't be shocked to see some Skattebo flips in the end zone this season.