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USMNT agree to new contract with coach Mauricio Pochettino through 2030 World Cup as obvious theme emerges
Familiarity will be a theme for the U.S. men's national soccer team at the 2030 World Cup.
Despite major speculation before and throughout the 2026 World Cup that manager Mauricio Pochettino was leaning toward returning to the club level, the United States Soccer Federation announced Monday that the 54-year-old had agreed to a new contract to keep him on the red, white, and blue sideline through 2030.
"Working together with U.S. Soccer over the past two years, it has become clear to us that there is tremendous potential to make the Men’s National Team program even stronger," Pochettino said in the announcement.
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"The passion we experienced from the fans throughout the World Cup only strengthened our belief in what is possible here. We are excited by the opportunity to bring all our experience and knowledge to even more areas of U.S. Soccer while helping strengthen the pathways for players, coaches and teams across the Federation. We want to try to have a lasting impact on the sport in the country that has welcomed us so warmly and for that impact to extend beyond results on the field."
Pochettino and staff led the USMNT to just its third World Cup group stage outright win in team history at the 2026 World Cup, as well as the squad's first knockout-stage win since 2002 with a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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The USMNT was certainly looking to earn a spot in the quarterfinals, at minimum, in Pochettino's first run as World Cup manager, and while it fell short thanks to a wildly disappointing outing against Belgium in the Round of 16, it's difficult to say his re-upping with the national team is not a significant win for American soccer.
On paper, that is, at the very least.
For starters, it's hard to imagine the USMNT attracting a bigger, more-proven name than Pochettino to take over. On top of that, USA soccer presumably handing over more rein to a proven manager trying to build a team culture while the country continues to grow its own soccer culture feels like a no-brainer.
The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Portugal, Spain, and Morocco.
It is impossible to predict what the USMNT will look like in four years, but having the same manager building momentum who is already familiar with the territory, players, and prospects is a great first for the future of American soccer.
Softball hall of famer sends blunt warning to those defending inclusion of biological males in female sports
While the woke WNBA seems intent on speeding down a dangerous road toward biological males competing on its courts, pioneers in female athletics are sounding the alarm over where this could all end up.
During an appearance with her husband, Dan Dakich, host of OutKick show "Don't @ Me," Leigh Ross-Dakich, a hall of fame softball player who won over 500 games during head coaching stops at Bowling Green and Syracuse, issued a dire warning to those wokes like Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase who is on record seemingly defending the idea of biological males taking roster spots from biological females.
"Let's go. One league. Let's see what happens. What's going to happen is that girls are going to get wiped out," Ross-Dakich cautioned.
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And why would that be? Because there are physical differences between men and women. Obviously. But don't take our word for it, you should listen to gay rights hero Billie Jean King, who has said exactly that, only to then go on to advocate for including biological males in female sports.
Ross-Dakich, along with the likes of tennis legend Martina Navratilova, cannot understand why the likes of King and WNBA coaches are so married to their positions.
"The players that are here now, I don't know if they understand what women had to go through years ago in the '70s and '80s to get to a point where they actually could play and have their own leagues. I don't think they understand that," Ross-Dakich continued.
Billie Jean King no longer has a job to lose. The same goes for Megan Rapinoe. It's easy for them to earn political points with the Alphabet Mafia. But, at what cost to the future of female sports? Will they blink if a biological male decides to start identifying as female and takes a WNBA roster spot?
If these so-called leaders don't blink, Ross-Dakich believes the results will be catastrophic.
"If you want to do that and make one league, women will be phased out. These women that are fighting for women – women power – are now phasing themselves out of jobs," she added. "You're not saying that trans kids can't play. Whatever is on your birth certificate is where you should be playing. It's common sense."
Top Dem torches socialists taking over his party: 'They're anti-American'
A leading House Democrat went scorched-earth on insurgent socialists rising within his party, repeatedly telling them to start their own party and accusing them of trying to "hijack" the Democratic Party as a "vessel" for their communist, "anti-American," open-border platform.
House Intelligence Committee member Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., a leader of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition, told Fox News on Sunday that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is "not Democrats" and rejected the idea that its platform is compatible with the Democratic Party’s.
"Obviously, I'm a very proud, commonsense Democrat, and I don't think DSA members are Democrats. They're socialists, right? And I'm all for them having their own party if they want one, but if they're trying to take over our party, that's unacceptable to me," Gottheimer said on "The Big Weekend Show."
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"Their values, their ideas are certainly not in line with ours, and they don't support our leadership. They're trying to use the Democratic Party as a vessel for their ideas. And as you heard in some of these conventions, literally, they're supporting the Communist Manifesto and [Leon] Trotsky, they're anti-American, they are anti-cop, they don't believe in borders."
Gottheimer was referring to man-on-the-street clips of DSA members at the group’s Chicago convention. One socialist said they are organizing a front to get "ICE off our campuses," while a member of the DSA’s National Political Committee said people such as Gottheimer who call them anti-American do not understand that their platform is the "most American thing you can do."
Another DSA NPC member said socialism is the "same kind of stuff that I am used to [in] growing up in the Christian Church."
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Gottheimer said 45 million voters are registered Democrats, compared with 150,000 official DSA members.
"They’re not welcome in the Democratic Party," he said.
He pushed back against members of his own party who have expressed openness to DSA-aligned candidates such as Maine oysterman Graham Platner.
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Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who represents Silicon Valley, said Democrats should not have "watched wealth pile up on Wall Street and Silicon Valley" at the expense of working-class Americans, adding that "the Democratic Party needs reform."
Gottheimer countered that fringe coalitions are mounting insurgencies in both parties and "trying to barge in" with incompatible ideas.
He also pointed to longtime Clinton confidant James Carville, who told Fox News that he would disown the Democratic Party if left-wing streamer Hasan Piker were permitted to become one of its leaders.
Former U.S. Marine Corps bomb technician Johnny Joey Jones asked whether Gottheimer would also leave the party over Piker or if Democratic leaders embraced socialists such as Harlem’s Darializa Chevalier.
"Well, [House Minority Leader Hakeem] Jeffries won’t — and let me be very clear that Hasan Piker is not a Democrat – the guy is the ultimate grifter, right? He’s the guy who said that 9/11 is America’s fault… We’ve got to make it clear he’s not welcome in the Democratic Party."
Gottheimer said the DSA platform shows that the organization is incompatible with the Democratic Party. He added that socialists can "scream and yell and try to …hijack [the party] and shove their ideas in and use it as a vessel."
"We have to make clear that’s not who we are…"
While Gottheimer reiterated that he does not plan to leave the Democratic Party any time soon, Jones noted that one prominent New Jersey Democrat already has.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, whose district includes Cape May, switched parties during President Donald Trump’s first term, angering South Jersey Democratic committees as the longtime lawmaker embraced Trump’s platform.
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"You wouldn't be the first New Jersey congressman to find a better party. I'm just saying leave the door open if you want to," Jones said.
Gottheimer’s district includes liberal New York City suburbs immediately west of the George Washington Bridge and the deep-red, Trump-friendly Skylands near the Delaware Water Gap, making it one of the most politically diverse districts in the state’s congressional delegation.
Fox News Digital reached out to the DSA and Piker for comment.
Matthew Stafford's wife celebrates her birthday, as one does, by flipping off the camera & shaking her butt
Sunday was Kelly Stafford's 37th birthday, and she did what many people do to celebrate the occasion. She went out with friends, let the double middle fingers fly, and shook her butt as one does to mark another year of life.
If she wasn't married to the reigning NFL MVP, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, nobody would think twice about it. It would be typical mom of four behavior as she gets another year closer to 40.
And people think it's all fun and games being married a star football player worth millions. There are tradeoffs like not being able to celebrate your birthday and sharing a video on social media without making headlines.
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As annoying as that is, that's just the beginning of what is required. That's just the beginning of what is required. You have to, as Kelly has done many times, fight back against the constant disrespect being shown toward her husband, Matthew, not Matt.
Admitting things like you enjoy THC gummies sometimes and explaining that you're a better parent when you take them is somehow an issue. It's not a situation everyone can handle.
Credit to Kelly, because she does a decent job of picking up the sword when needed and recognizing when some entertainment is needed. The transition from Detroit to Los Angeles isn't as smooth without her.
So, if for a day she wants to have fun with her friends like everyone else and unwind with a solidly executed double-barreled middle finger action that she tops off with a shake of what her mother gave her, Kelly should be able to do that.
She should also be able to share it with over 460,000 of her friends on social media. I guess what I'm ultimately saying here is happy birthday, Kelly Stafford.
Iran reaffirms support for Hamas as Trump pushes to disarm terror group
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called Hamas’ newly elected leader to congratulate him and pledge Tehran’s continued support for the group’s cause, Hamas said Monday — as President Donald Trump promotes a landmark agreement intended to strip the terrorist organization of its weapons and power in Gaza.
Pezeshkian congratulated Khalil al-Hayya on his election as head of the group’s political bureau and told him Iran would continue supporting the Palestinian cause, according to a Hamas statement posted in Arabic, and reviewed by Fox News Digital.
"We are with you, and we support you in every action you take, despite the attacks we are facing," Pezeshkian said, according to Hamas’ account of the call.
Fox News Digital has asked Iran’s mission to the United Nations to confirm that the call took place and provide an official readout.
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The reported conversation highlighted a central contradiction confronting Trump’s Gaza initiative: While the White House is presenting the roadmap as a landmark agreement to remove Hamas from power and secure its weapons, Iran — the group’s longtime military and financial patron — was simultaneously reaffirming its support for Hamas and its new leader. Tehran’s backing raises fresh questions about whether Hamas is prepared to surrender the arsenal at the core of its power and how the Board of Peace could enforce disarmament against a group that continues to receive political support from one of Washington’s principal regional adversaries.
Trump in recent days announced what he called a "HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups," presenting it as a breakthrough after nearly three years of war. The stakes extend far beyond the wording of the deal: Hamas’ weapons remain the central obstacle to rebuilding Gaza, and the agreement will test whether Trump’s Board of Peace can enforce a postwar transition or whether Hamas will exploit the process to survive, regroup and retain power.
At the center of the effort is Trump’s Board of Peace, the president’s handpicked vehicle for implementing his Gaza policy and potentially extending his approach to other global conflicts. Trump chairs the board, whose executive leadership includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The White House says the board will oversee Gaza’s transition, mobilize reconstruction funding and hold the parties accountable.
But the tensions intensified Monday also on the Israeli side, when Nickolay Mladenov, Board of Peace director-general and high representative for Gaza, and board advisor Aryeh Lightstone met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged Israel to halt its attacks in Gaza.
Israel appeared to reject the board’s two central demands shortly afterward.
"Israel will not withdraw from its current line in the Gaza Strip and will continue to thwart any threat to our civilians and soldiers," an Israeli political official said. The statement amounted to a rejection, at least for now, of demands that Israel return to the "yellow line" and halt targeted strikes in Gaza.
A Board of Peace official declined to discuss the meeting but said the body remained focused on carrying out the roadmap.
"We are focused on implementation," the official told Fox News Digital. "We have provided a pragmatic path forward to transform Gaza by removing Hamas from power and seeing it hand over its weapons. These steps would undoubtedly allow for the improvement of life in Gaza and enhancement of security in Israel. We remain determined to advance these objectives."
Meanwhile, the Hamas terrorist group says it has agreed only to a phased and conditional process involving the storage of weapons after Israel stops its attacks, withdraws its forces and allows more aid into Gaza. Hamas has avoided the word "disarmament" in its statements and insists its weapons would remain under Palestinian control rather than being surrendered to Israel or an international force.
HAMAS AGREES TO COMPLETE DISARMAMENT UNDER 'HISTORIC' GAZA AGREEMENT: TRUMP
The board’s 15-point roadmap calls for Hamas to transfer Gaza’s civilian government and security responsibilities to a Palestinian technocratic body known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. Hamas-run police would surrender their weapons to the committee, while heavy weapons, military production sites, weapons depots and tunnels would be addressed later through a phased decommissioning process linked to an Israeli withdrawal.
The intended endpoint is that only the new Palestinian authority would possess or control weapons in Gaza. But the roadmap leaves unresolved who will enforce the process, what constitutes compliance and which side must act first.
Hamas’ disarmament remains a central obstacle to rebuilding Gaza. Trump has tied reconstruction to the group laying down its weapons, while The Associated Press reported that the Board of Peace had secured approximately $7 billion in pledges by February — a fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild the devastated territory.
Moumen al-Natour, a Palestinian lawyer from Gaza and co-founder of the anti-Hamas "We Want to Live" movement, said civilians desperately want the agreement to succeed but do not trust Hamas to relinquish power.
"Civilian people inside Gaza Strip… want safety, want to stop this war, want a new government, want to be alive," al-Natour told Fox News Digital.
But al-Natour, who previously was imprisoned by Hamas, warned that the group would use delays and violations to remain embedded in Gaza.
"I can’t trust Hamas because I know Hamas," he said, arguing that the group had repeatedly arrested and killed Palestinians who opposed its rule. He said an international force of only a few hundred personnel would be unable to secure Gaza or prevent Hamas from intimidating residents and that a much larger force and a new Palestinian police structure would be required.
Drawing on a grassroots network of thousands of Gazan professionals who reject Hamas’ ideology, the "We Want to Live" movement is promoting its own plan to rebuild Gaza’s civil society and is calling for cooperation with the Board of Peace and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the technocratic body tasked under the U.S.-backed transition plan with governing and rebuilding the enclave.
Al-Natour also proposed allowing civilians who want to escape Hamas-controlled areas to move into protected zones near the "yellow line" — the boundary separating Israeli-held territory from the rest of Gaza — where they could live under a new Palestinian administration backed by an international security force. He said the arrangement could provide Gazans with a safer alternative while a post-Hamas governing structure is established.
Michael Milstein, a former military intelligence officer in Israel and now head of the Palestinian Studies Centre at Tel Aviv University, said the compromise has been developing for months under pressure from Qatar, Turkey and Egypt.
Milstein said Hamas may be prepared to give up control of Gaza’s day-to-day government and accept restrictions on heavy weapons but is unlikely to abandon its armed organization completely.
Under the model Hamas appears to favor, Milstein said, a technocratic government and international forces would assume responsibility for public services and reconstruction while Hamas preserves its personnel, infrastructure and political influence — an arrangement resembling Hezbollah’s longtime position in Lebanon.
"There is a very, very low chance that Hamas will completely disarm," Milstein told Fox News Digital, describing the roadmap as the kind of "gray area" Hamas has historically used to its advantage.
The Board of Peace also is pressing for an end to actions that could derail the plan. After Israeli strikes killed civilians and reportedly destroyed medical supplies over the weekend, Mladenov, the director-general of the Board of Peace, called for de-escalation but did not identify Israel by name.
"Two days of strikes across Gaza have killed civilians and destroyed medical supplies," Mladenov wrote on X, adding that he was working with the parties and regional mediators to "create the space for the full implementation of the President’s plan."
Israel, meanwhile, says it will not withdraw before Hamas genuinely disarms. Hamas says Israel must withdraw first.
The roadmap also faces resistance inside Israel’s government. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Settlements Minister Orit Strock urged Netanyahu on Monday to convene the security Cabinet immediately and block the international stabilization force from entering Gaza, according to Israel’s N12 news outlet.
In an urgent letter reported by N12 on Aug. 3, 2026, the ministers called the Board of Peace roadmap "dangerous to Israel" and argued that it contradicts Israel’s stated goals of disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza. They objected that weapons would be placed under the authority of a new Palestinian body rather than removed from Gaza or handed to Israel and that Israeli troops would begin withdrawing while the disarmament process was still underway.
The far-right ministers also argued that the international force would monitor the separation between Israeli troops and the new Palestinian administration rather than directly disarm Hamas. They demanded that Netanyahu prevent implementation until the roadmap is revised to require full demilitarization before an Israeli withdrawal. The letter underscores that the plan’s obstacles extend beyond Hamas: Influential members of Netanyahu’s coalition are also challenging its sequencing, enforcement and security provisions.
That leaves Trump’s proclaimed milestone resting on the same question that has stalled previous Gaza negotiations: whether Hamas is truly preparing to surrender the weapons that underpin its power — or merely buying time to ensure that it remains standing when the rebuilding begins.
‘Special sauce of crazy’ — Midwest Dem candidate’s policies too extreme for voters: opponent
DETROIT, Michigan — Republican Mike Rogers is confident he'll defeat whichever Democratic rival he faces off with in the midterm elections in the crucial Senate showdown in this Great Lakes battleground state.
"It doesn't matter to us. We've looked at both candidates. We feel confident we're going to beat either one of those candidates that come out of that race," Rogers said in a Fox News Digital interview two days before Michigan's primary.
Abdul El-Sayed, a former Wayne County Health Department director who unsuccessfully ran an insurgent campaign for governor in 2018, is facing off for the Democratic Party's nomination in Michigan against Rep. Haley Stevens, a more moderate candidate backed by the establishment. The primary race is the biggest battle to date in the party's ideological war between the far-left and the center-left.
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Rogers says both El-Sayed and Stevens "are very radical, and they are way too extreme for Michigan." And pointing to El-Sayed, he charged, "Abdul, he has his own special sauce of crazy."
The expensive and combustible scrum between El-Sayed and Stevens in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who is backing Stevens, is bolstering Republicans and potentially endangering a must-hold seat in November for the Democrats as they face an uphill challenge to win back the Senate majority.
"That certainly helps," Rogers said as he pointed to the Democratic primary battle.
Rogers, a former congressman who lost the 2024 Senate election in Michigan by a razor-thin margin while President Trump narrowly carried the state, touted that while the Democrats engage in what some describe as a civil war, "we've unified the Republican Party in a way I haven't seen in decades here on this particular race."
"We're building our team, our resources, and are ready for the fight after August 5 in a way I don't think Democrats are expecting," he highlighted.
El-Sayed, who, if elected, would make history as the nation's first Muslim senator, has made support for Medicare-for-all a major component of his campaign.
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He has also called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and is a vocal critic of Israel amid its war with Hamas — even characterizing Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide" against Palestinians. And El-Sayed, who served as a top surrogate on Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, has vowed not to accept PAC donations.
El-Sayed, who is backed by many leaders on the left and was joined on the campaign trail two weeks ago by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, has reiterated that he's not a socialist.
But Rogers argued that El-Sayed is "in a different league altogether about pushing that socialist agenda, Democrat Socialists of America are in Michigan working for him right now. They're parachuting in from all over the country."
"If you believe in the future of America and your own prosperity and your individual liberties, well…. We're going to talk about it because they've got plans to take all that away," Rogers claimed, as he pointed to the far left and El-Sayed. "And just because you're a smooth talker and could sell ice to an Eskimo doesn't mean people are ready to give up their rights."
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Both El-Sayed and Stevens are confident that Democrats will unite following Tuesday's primary.
"Let's make sure that anyone but Mike Rogers gets to the United States Senate," Stevens told reporters on Sunday. "After the primary, you're going to see a united Democratic Party. You are going to see us going full force, full fledge ahead."
And El-Sayed told Fox News Digital, "I think we all understand the risk of Donald Trump. We all understand the risk of Mike Rogers."
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"This is a guy who is not going to stand up and take on the war machine. He's not going to stand up and take on Big Pharma. He's not going to stand up and take on Big Tech. He is going to do the bidding of large corporations," El-Sayed argued as he referred to Rogers. "I think everybody understands what the stakes are. So I'm looking forward to welcoming everybody who might have voted differently in the primary."
Asked about El-Sayed's comments, Rogers charged, "The guy lies... this guy will lie from today until November 4, trying to get people to... walk past how bad he is for our state and our future in the country."
Fox News' Luke Trevisan contributed to this report.
New York school pauses humanoid classroom robot pilot program
A lifelike humanoid robot was expected to take a seat inside a New York high school classroom. Those plans are now on hold. The planned robot is reportedly stationary, with silicone skin and long brown hair.
Realbotix and Salamanca City Central School District had announced a limited pilot program for fall 2026 involving Optio, an artificial intelligence-powered educational assistant, and one new Realbotix M-Series humanoid unit.
On July 24, the district announced that the pilot program had been paused while it works through enhanced student data privacy agreements with the New York State Education Department.
The district is also continuing discussions with community members and other stakeholders before moving forward. It has not announced a new date for the pilot program. The technology was intended to support AI and robotics lessons while teachers remained in control. Still, putting a humanlike machine in front of students raises questions about privacy and how quickly students may trust it.
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Salamanca City Central School District is located in western New York on Seneca Nation territory. The district had planned to introduce Optio to high school students enrolled in Woz ED AI and Robotics courses.
Realbotix previously described this as a limited fall 2026 pilot involving its digital assistant and one physical robot. The district has since placed the project on hold while it addresses student privacy agreements and gathers additional community input. Realbotix told CyberGuy, "The partnership also gives educators an opportunity to evaluate these technologies in a controlled classroom environment under district oversight."
The district reportedly paid $57,590 for the robot and AI program, according to the school board contract. Realbotix reportedly discounted the package from the M-Series robot's listed starting price of $95,000. The initial Optio rollout had been expected to expand to approximately 500 high school students during the fall semester. That planned expansion would have applied to the AI platform and student avatars rather than 500 physical robots.
The proposed project includes two connected parts. Optio is the digital AI educational assistant that students can access through personalized avatars. The M-Series robot would give that technology a physical presence in the classroom. Realbotix told CyberGuy, "Its technology combines conversational AI with a physical humanoid platform capable of natural interaction and lifelike expressions."
The company says its humanoid platform can use natural conversation and facial expressions during real-time interactions. The robot is designed to give students hands-on exposure to AI and robotics rather than limiting the lesson to a laptop screen.
The robot was expected to remain seated while using upper-body movements and facial expressions. The school reportedly requested a Western New York accent. However, Realbotix told CyberGuy, "The physical unit has not yet been deployed. Additional details regarding its implementation will be determined in coordination with the district."
That means some details reported about the robot may reflect the planned design rather than the finished classroom robot. The district had said the system would use school-approved curriculum instead of searching the open internet. When the technology lacked an answer, it was trained to say, "I don't know," rather than inventing information.
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Realbotix designed Optio as an AI educational assistant and an at-home tutor. Students will interact with avatars trained on district curriculum. The platform is designed to reinforce concepts and provide individual tutoring outside regular school hours. Realbotix says it can also offer homework support across multiple languages.
Students reportedly may be able to upload photos of homework for feedback. They could also request lessons based on their interests or receive real-time translations. Teachers may use Optio for lesson planning and curriculum adjustments. The physical robot could also provide prompts based on material already loaded into the system.
Realbotix told CyberGuy, "The program is intended to complement, not replace, teachers by giving students supervised access to emerging AI and robotics tools as part of the district's existing STEM curriculum." The company added, "Realbotix's products are designed to support human engagement and expand access to information and services while complementing the work of educators and other professionals."
The district has paused the pilot program while it works through enhanced student data privacy agreements with the New York State Education Department. It says appropriate privacy protections and community input are important parts of the process. The district has not said when those agreements could be completed or when the pilot might resume.
If the program moves forward, it would operate under district oversight with education-specific safeguards. Realbotix says those guardrails are designed to block inappropriate responses and reduce unreliable outputs. The robot and avatar would reportedly operate through a closed system without an open internet connection. The district also said Realbotix will lack access to personally identifiable student information.
The classroom robot would reportedly lack facial recognition and recording features found in some other Realbotix models. However, personalized learning requires the system to remember some information. Students will use unique identification codes when interacting with the technology. Those codes will allow Optio to retrieve learning information and continue earlier conversations without relying on a student's name.
Several media reports connected the school project to an adult-products business under the same parent company. Realbotix disputes the way some reports characterized that relationship.
Realbotix provided this clarification to CyberGuy:
"For clarity, some media reports have falsely connected the Salamanca project to an adult product or adult-products business. The Salamanca robot is a newly manufactured, purpose-built educational unit; no existing product or hardware is being modified or repurposed for the school." The company continued, "Realbotix LLC focuses exclusively on non-adult commercial applications, including healthcare and education. No adult-products company has any involvement in the Salamanca project or in any product or project developed by Realbotix LLC. Separate companies."
Realbotix Corp. describes itself as a holding company with two separately operated businesses. Realbotix LLC develops humanoid robots for commercial uses, while Intima LLC operates in the adult wellness and companionship market. The company says the subsidiaries maintain separate employees and facilities. It also says they do not share products, inventory, manufacturing resources or technology. Realbotix told CyberGuy, "The Salamanca robot is a newly manufactured, purpose-built educational unit; no existing product or hardware is being modified or repurposed for the school."
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Most students and teachers will not see a humanoid robot in the classroom anytime soon. Still, Salamanca's paused pilot shows where school technology may eventually be heading. Giving AI a face and a voice could make lessons more engaging. It could also lead students to trust the technology more quickly than they would trust a typical computer program.
Parents should pay close attention to what Optio remembers and who can access that information. Teacher oversight will also be important when the system gives an answer that sounds confident but may be wrong. A closed system would give the district more control than an open chatbot. Even so, students, teachers and parents deserve clear rules about student data and how the robot will be used.
The physical unit has yet to enter the school, and the district has not announced a new start date. Before moving forward, Salamanca says it will work through enhanced student data privacy agreements with the New York State Education Department and continue engaging with community members and other stakeholders. Many key questions will remain unanswered until those protections are finalized and students and teachers begin using the system in a real classroom.
Pausing the pilot program makes sense while the district works through student privacy agreements. The robot could make AI lessons more engaging, but families still need clear answers about what Optio remembers, who can access that data and when the district deletes it. The real test will come if the district restarts the pilot and shows that the technology can support learning without putting student privacy at risk.
Would you feel comfortable with a lifelike robot helping in your child's classroom, or does this take school technology too far? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Socialist House candidate says he agrees with Republicans on 'one issue'
A socialist candidate vying to unseat a sitting House Democrat says there is "one issue" he agrees with Republicans on.
Michigan state lawmaker Donavan McKinney is among the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) members giving establishment Democrats a run for their money across the country ahead of the 2026 midterm elections in November.
Members of the group have shown that they're a potent force among the left's base voters, while also working to appeal to the same working-class, anti-establishment sentiment that helped President Donald Trump get elected in 2016.
DSA MEMBER LEADS DEM PRIMARY IN MIDWEST BATTLEGROUND BUT TRAILS LIKELY GOP NOMINEE: POLL
The latest evidence of that is McKinney's tease in a recent interview with Zeteo News, "I gotta give Republicans — I agree with them on this one issue. The one issue is waste, fraud and abuse."
But he differed with the GOP on where that's coming from.
"Republicans' analysis is there's waste, fraud and abuse when it comes to the poor. It's kind of like, you know, voting fraud. There's like .0001%, like very small percentage of folks, poor people, take advantage of the system," McKinney said. "The waste, fraud and abuse is coming from our taxpayer dollars subsidizing our corporations and the wealthy, so they can get richer and we keep being poor."
"We're gonna attack the waste, fraud and abuse, but we're going to attack it for the top 1% earners in this country," he added of his goals if elected to the House.
McKinney is running to unseat Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., a progressive who split with the DSA over the party's anti-Israel sentiment.
And during a rally over the weekend, McKinney attempted to appeal to voters who feel the strain of high costs in their everyday lives.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS AIM TO TURN DEMOCRATIC CIVIL WAR INTO MIDTERM WEAPON
"All I hear across our communities is that I don't have enough resources to survive. I would define politics, it's pretty simple, it's the redistribution of resources. Well, we have to take our taxpayer money to send it overseas for bombs and weapons, to kill families and children. No more to support genocide. I think that's a damn shame," he said.
"We're in Iran spending billions of dollars a day on average. And you're telling me the people in my district, the seniors, our children, our most vulnerable populations can't get the resources they deserve? I don't think this is the America anyone wants us to live in, am I right?"
He also criticized "self-interested" lawmakers in both parties for falling out of touch with what Americans across the country are struggling with.
But on the other side of the aisle, the growing insurgency from the socialist left could provide a boon to Republicans who are fighting an uphill battle to keep control of the House.
GOP leaders across the country are warning that Americans are not interested in socialism or its core beliefs, like the redistribution of wealth and demise of capitalism.
Meanwhile, DSA-linked candidates have already unseated incumbent House Democrats in New York and Colorado.
Buffalo music venue bans DJ after 'We Are Charlie Kirk' song played in jest
A Buffalo, New York, music venue says it has barred a DJ from performing again after it said a "We Are Charlie Kirk" meme was shown during a recent performance that sparked backlash online, prompting the club to issue a public apology.
In a Facebook statement posted Sunday, live music bar Nietzsche's said it only learned about the incident after it circulated on social media. While the venue said the artist and promoter described the incident as a joke, it apologized to patrons, said the content did not reflect its values, and announced the DJ responsible would not be invited back.
"We want to apologize for a moment that occurred during a show at Nietzsche's last weekend, involving a ‘We are Charlie Kirk’ meme that we just became aware of via social media," the venue said in a post on Facebook. "After speaking with the artist and promoter, we understand it was intended in jest, but it's not something that has any place at Nietzsche's."
The bar and lounge continued, "We want to reaffirm that Nietzsche's is, has been, and always will be a place of acceptance, respect, and community. We recognize that this moment did not reflect those values, and we sincerely apologize to anyone who was made to feel unwelcome or hurt."
"The DJ who included this content will not be performing at the club again," Nietzsche's added. "We appreciate everyone who brought this to our attention and will continue working to ensure Nietzsche's remains a welcoming space for all."
RHODE ISLAND TEACHER WHO CALLED SLAIN CHARLIE KIRK 'GARBAGE' HONORED IN HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOK
Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, was assassinated Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University during his American Comeback Tour.
Shortly after Kirk’s assassination, a song thought to be AI-generated called "We Are Charlie Kirk" was credited to Spalexma that was released on Sept. 18, 2025. It is in the style of a Christian power ballad, with lyrics like, "He spoke the truth when the cost was high / He lived for Jesus, unafraid to die."
TikTokers and others have used the song in videos to mock Kirk and his death since last year.
Fox News Digital reached out to Nietzsche's and Turning Point USA for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
College football is finally back after months of NCAA lawsuits, NIL drama and congressional fights
Lost in the kerfuffles over court cases involving the NCAA and the 'Protect College Sports Act' heading to the Senate floor this that week for a vote is the fact that we will play college football this month after another wild offseason of drama.
Can you feel it?
As football teams hit the practice field this week for the start of fall camp, the anticipation builds for what is to come in just 25 days after a majority of the headlines over the past seven months have centered around the future.
The expansion of the College Football Playoff. Congressional leaders trying to garner enough from SEC and Big Ten leaders to pass legislation that will have major ramifications on the future of college athletics. Court cases involving athletes who feel they were wronged by the NCAA installing a new 5-for-5 eligibility rule that gives athletes five years to play five seasons in all sports.
Bundle all of this together and we once again had an offseason that did not center around what was going to take place on the football field this year.
I am not implying that what is taking place off the field is not important, far from it. The NCAA put itself in this spot, and it's having to spend an insane amount of money to defend their decisions in courtrooms across the country.
What I am saying is that the average fan who just wants to cheer on their team, or call into their local postgame show to unload on whomever is coaching their favorite squad after a loss, is tired of hearing about the everyday noise that has overtaken the offseason.
And guess what? I don't blame them one bit. In reality, I agree with them.
We spent college football media days clamoring over the future of college athletics and how much money it's going to take in hopes of competing for a national championship. At the end of the day, fans that pay for tickets, parking, memorabilia, food, hotels and gas just want to sit in their seats to cheer on their team.
THREE INTRIGUING QUARTERBACK BATTLES TO WATCH DURING COLLEGE FOOTBALL OFFSEASON CAMPS
Whether that's inside the stadium or sitting on the couch with their friends, the conversation around what college sports will look like in two or three years has gotten old, quick.
Since the inception of NIL, which was highlighted by Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher trading jabs about how much money was spent on the Texas A&M roster, the offseason talk has shifted from the on-field product to which lawyer is representing a player in their fight against the NCAA.
Again, that is just the world we live in now. It's not going away any time soon, no matter if Congress passes the 'Protect College Sports Act' or not.
All across the country, players and coaches are preparing for the upcoming season. At the same time, fans are booking hotel rooms or deciding how much money they will need to spend on streaming platforms so they can enjoy a season of college football.
We had plenty of drama though, thanks to figures like Brendan Sorsby, Lane Kiffin, the entire Texas Tech athletic department, Ole Miss and even Bill Belichick.
In Austin, there are Texas fans wondering if this is the year in which Steve Sarkisian can get the Longhorns playing for a national championship.
Out in Southern California, USC fans are already preparing to hold a picket line if Lincoln Riley cannot get the Trojans back into the CFP conversation.
The list goes on, and on. And, I love it. The local radio stations are getting everything together from a technical standpoint to host postgame shows that are like therapy sessions for fans.
We have also spent this offseason clamoring over who's the best conference in college football.
Is it the Big Ten or SEC? Well, who has won the past three national championships? Curt Cignetti rightfully stood at the podium last week in Chicago and made that point abundantly clear.
Will the ACC make another run at a College Football Playoff title game appearance, and can that team once again be Miami? Is this the final season in which Dabo Swinney will lead Clemson down the hill? How many vacancies will the ACC have after this season comes to an end?
There is a lot of pressure on schools to deliver, and if you aren’t in the CFP conversation when the first weekend of November rolls around, then fans will be prepared to start conversing about how much money was spent on a roster that came up short.
We have entered the most nerve-wracking point of the year in college football. The 'expectation' period, where everyone still has a chance.
This is what we crave. This is what we find ourselves stressing over when life might be kicking us outside the sports realm.
And sure, there will be plenty of noise around legislation and court cases that are currently ongoing off the field.
Unfortunately, that's the world we live in right now when it comes to college athletics. But, the beautiful sight of your favorite team running out of the locker room is nearly upon us.
Congratulations to you all. We've made it to another season of college football.