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College football playoff expansion is nothing more than a desperate financial bailout disguised as progress
Coming out of their meetings this week at Big Ten headquarters, the College Football Playoff committee is now formally waiting to see what ESPN is willing to offer for an expansion from 12 teams to 24.
Only two years into this newer format, we're already pressing the issue of whether a quick jump is needed to suffice those who are struggling during these new times in college athletics where money seems to be the biggest conundrum.
Now, with a straight face, those in favor of expanding the playoff want you to think it's anything other than a money grab during an era in which schools are having to find different ways to raise capitol.
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No, this is not affecting some of the more prestigious schools in college athletics, who essentially print money in the bowels of their athletic department buildings.
But, for those schools who are working overtime to create additional sources of income to pay for stadium renovations, house-settlement payouts, expensive contracts and who are also being dragged through the mud by bad television deals, the time has come to make a trip back to the bank teller in order to take out more funds.
I guess we can call it an additional line of credit, or a hardship withdrawal.
Right now, with the 30-day negotiating window coming to a close over the next week, ESPN is putting together an offer the network hopes will suffice those who are making the decisions on whether or not to expand the playoff.
On the other hand, networks and streaming platforms outside Bristol are banking on conferences like the SEC and Big Ten not taking ESPN up on their offer, which would then take the CFP expansion to the open market.
And yes, networks like FOX are hoping their contract with the Big Ten pays off by having these negotiations extend past October 9th, which would allow them to get in on the bidding.
Now, I'm not implying that them, or streaming platforms, would come to the table with a sizable offer that would force CFP leaders to think twice about accepting ESPN's deal. These conferences are smart enough to already know what each network is willing to offer.
Remember, SEC television rights are owned by the four-letter network, while the Big Ten is under contract with FOX.
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It just so happens that the two conferences who will end up making the final decision, thanks to the power bestowed upon them last year in an agreement with the Big 12, ACC, Notre Dame and G-6, are sitting on the opposite sides of what their television partners would be presenting.
I would hope by now that fans of this cherished sport would see right through the nonsense that is being spewed through either backchannel communications or the interviews given over the course of the past year.
This talk of expansion, which is more than just chatter at this point, essentially flipped within a three-month stretch dating back to CFP meetings around the national championship game last year in Miami. One minute, most are in agreement that a sixteen-team model would be the wise move.
Then, after realizing how cash-strapped a large chunk of these schools were, the conversation shifted towards the Big Ten's idea of 24-teams.
The twelve-team format didn’t have a chance to be enjoyed before we were already discussing expansion, as if college football needs to resemble March Madness.
"I was in the group that took it from four to 12 teams—and that was monumental," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told John Ourand. "And it’s worked really well. I think the timing of that implementation was, if not perfect, as close to perfect as you’ll get. So we’re two years through the 12-team playoff. We put games on campus in the postseason for the first time at the FBS level. We haven’t been successful in the final game, but we’ve been better represented than any other conference. There are a lot of ideas, and our concerns relate to how you manage the economics. Is there value in 24 or not?
"I don’t think people understand the difficulty of going week to week to week to week in December. … We’ve looked at it and said CFP selection decisions are negatively impacting regular-season scheduling, particularly big non-conference games. That needs to be addressed first, and also the economics, what we do with conference championship games, where the games fit, and understanding the impact."
But, there are plenty of people who want to make you think that more teams will create stronger parity in the sport, which will then force teams to increase their budgets to compete on a yearly basis.
For this to happen, expanding the CFP, conferences will have to get rid of championship weekend. This means, the SEC would have to buy its way out of contracts with companies like Regions, Dr. Pepper, Allstate, Bush's Beans, Johnsonville, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and a plethora of others who signed deals to sponsor the event.
And, don't forget about the money made from the game itself, which grosses around $100 million for the conference, with a television deal with ESPN included. The same can be said for the Big Ten, who plays their title game inside Lucas Oil Stadium every year, and provides a major economic impact for the city of Indianapolis.
When the 'Protect College Sports Act' inserted a new amendment that would essentially double the amount of money each school was allowed to spend, from around $22 million to upwards of $45 million, the writing was on the wall.
And please, save us with the talk of how this is only going to strengthen the sport of college football. There aren’t 24-teams worthy of vying for a national championship. Heck, there aren’t 16 teams who are truly capable of hoisting a CFP trophy at seasons end.
And where exactly are they going to get this money? Are they striking oil in Kentucky or Iowa? Did Walmart all the sudden start funding the Arkansas football roster without us paying attention?
Is Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell going to start helping out other schools in the state so they can compete on a yearly basis?
No. This feels more like the 2008 financial crisis where the government decided a cash-infusion could help stabilize the market, this time in the form of a television agreement that leads to more teams making the postseason.
Just because you slap a CFP logo on a first round game that pits James Madison against Virginia Tech doesn’t mean it will equal ratings.
We'll see what transpires over the next two months, as the December 1st deadline looms for a decision on expansion.
I look forward to those teams who are eliminated in the first round of a 24-team playoff with an 8-5 record hanging a CFP banner in the practice facility.
Trump campaign insider reveals strategy behind midterm blitz that White House hopes pays off big
A veteran campaign strategist who worked for Donald Trump's 2024 reelection bid told Fox News Digital that pundits are misreading the strategy behind the president's 32-state pre-midterms rally tour, which includes stops in deep red states.
Thursday, the president spoke in Denton, Texas, a suburb of Dallas before traveling to Oklahoma, a longtime bastion of conservatism that hasn't been carried by a Democrat in a presidential election since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Trump on Friday will rally in Mobile, Alabama, another traditionally Republican-dominated state.
While political analysts speculate Trump's blitz signals doom for the GOP in November, Luke Ball, who knows intimately the inner-workings of how the 47th president operates on the campaign trail, has a different view.
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"So for people who are maybe commenting and doing it from a perspective of ‘the president's in trouble,’ I think that’s kind of a lazy analysis for you to just take it at surface value that he’s in red states," Ball said.
He added that Texas and Oklahoma go "hand in hand," and that the appearing in both places can boost Republican midterm turnout in November across swing district or more competitive districts found in some deep red states.
Though he admits the strategy is a "risk" for Trump, he says the month-long tour isn't a fly-by-night operation.
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"They keep saying — and it's a risk politically for the president — but they keep saying that he is on the ballot and on the top of the ballot, but the reason they're doing it is because the RNC the MAGA Incs, and the James Blair's of the world have the data that show who's going to turn out for the president and nobody else," said Ball.
MAGA Inc. is a Super PAC that poured more than $375 million into electing Trump in 2024, and is now backing Republican congressional candidates nationwide. James Blair was Trump's 2024 campaign political director, and is now the White House Deputy Chief of Staff.
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"The next stop is in Mobile, Alabama, another media market that I worked in, which is going to encompass Pensacola, Florida — which always brings out the vote for the rest of the state," Ball said. "So if you want to solidify your standing in Florida and show that you still are the kingmaker in that state that used to be purple a few years ago, and now Democrats don't even bother spending in it, you've got to make sure that you lock that down."
"So, great optics in Alabama, great optics in Oklahoma, but in addition to that, you're getting a red area of Texas motivated to turn out and a very, very red area of Florida to turn out for those elections."
Nationwide media coverage of the rallies is in itself part of the strategy, too.
"Other traditional candidates would strategically target and fine-tune the principal's time in various states, but people were saying Trump wasn't going to go out on the campaign trail at all, and now it's the total opposite," Ball explained. "It's, 'why is he doing so much? Why is he hitting all of these deep red states?' It's also from a perspective too, when you have these major rallies in Mobile, Alabama, or Oklahoma or deep red states across the nation, that still gets major national coverage."
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In Denton, Trump toured a Peterbilt truck manufacturing plant, where he met with employees of the company and made brief remarks. Stops like that are part of a broader campaign strategy, according to Ball.
"When we were on the campaign trail, I remember [former co-campaign manager] Susie Wiles saying that at every stop he goes to, she wants him at an off the record event, whether that's going into the Bluebird Diner in Iowa or eating a hoagie in Buc-ee's or whatever it might be, and I almost see a little bit of parallel here with the macro strategy behind the tour," he said.
Wiles is now Trump's closely trusted White House Chief of Staff.
"Instead of popping into a mom and pop show or store, he's touring manufacturing, or he's going to a specific industry in one state and then holding a rally that captures the media market in another. So you're not just showing up and leaving," Ball continued. "You always think about what's the additional thing you can do to draw out voters in that state."
Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov exits Sharks game with apparent leg injury as fans hold breath
The Florida Panthers were able to mount a valiant comeback in San Jose, rallying from three goals down in the second period and scoring two in the third before ultimately falling in overtime.
But while the Cats were able to salvage a point in the Bay Area, they potentially came away with far worse news.
Following an awkward fall in the second period, Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov left the ice with an apparent knee injury, looking visibly frustrated as he made his way down the tunnel and into the locker room.
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Barkov was able to skate and walk on his own, however, there are fears that this could be more severe than initially expected, with one South Florida doctor who is familiar with hockey-related injuries saying on social media an ACL tear could still be possible.
While coach Paul Maurice was unable to confirm the severity of the injury in his postgame press conference, Florida fans are especially anxious, considering an ACL tear kept Barkov out for the entire season last year.
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This injury is thought to be unrelated to last year's, but you can hardly blame anyone for fearing the worst.
A little over a year ago, the Panthers were thought to be the favorites to make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals and even potentially become the first NHL team to three-peat since the New York Islanders teams of the early 1980s.
Then, during a routine practice towards the end of training camp, Barkov's leg bent awkwardly as he went down on the ice.
Florida would never recover after that, as a rash of injuries to other star players in addition to their captain saw the Panthers go from Cup favorites to missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
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Should Barkov miss an extended period of time, it will be interesting to see how the Cats shift their lineup accordingly.
Players like Sam Bennett or Anton Lundell could slide into his spot as the top line center, while the rumors will swirl whether Florida could play around with their cap space and sign Dylan Larkin from Detroit.
That would likely only be possible if the Panthers were able to put Barkov on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) as a form of salary cap relief.
Larkin has been fairly vocal about his frustrations in the Motor City, and Barkov's $10 million coming off the books could free up the space to make a move for the American center.
Regardless, losing the heart and soul of their Stanley Cup-winning squads is a blow the Panthers can ill afford, so here's hoping the road to recovery is quick for Barkov.
Cornell rape allegations prompt NY Attorney General Letitia James to open ‘active criminal investigation’
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday morning she has opened an "active criminal investigation" into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University in 2024.
"This is now an active criminal investigation led by the office of the attorney general," James said after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed her as an independent special prosecutor in the case.
"Every New Yorker deserves to know that when they report a crime, it will be investigated fully and fairly, that they will be seen and heard. That is the promise of our justice system," she said.
"I stand ready to lead a process guided by the facts and the law. In the coming months, my office will dutifully carry out the responsibilities the governor has conferred upon us in this executive order. We will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and, if warranted, pursue prosecutions. I know that you want answers. I do too," she added.
Hochul signed an executive order appointing James as the special prosecutor on Thursday, citing "serious questions about the investigation conducted by the Cornell Police Department and the decision by the Tompkins County District Attorney not to prosecute an alleged sexual assault on Cornell University's campus in October 2024."
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A woman identified only as Jane Doe filed a civil complaint in September accusing seven members of Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity of sexual assault and rape.
In the complaint, Doe alleges she "was plied with alcohol and drugs to the point of intoxication by members of Xi chapter's fraternal organization," which resulted in her "being sexually assaulted and raped by members of Xi chapter's regional fraternal organization at Cornell University."
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The Tompkins County district attorney reviewed the case at the time and chose not to pursue criminal charges.
"Jane Doe’s sworn statement in November of 2024 did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped. On the contrary, Jane Doe’s statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual. My office obviously did not and could not have based our November 2024 decision on the allegations in a civil lawsuit that would not be filed until nearly two years later," the District Attorney's Office wrote in a Sept. 28, 2026 statement.
In a statement to Fox News following Friday's press conference, Cornell University said, "We fully support the appointment of a special prosecutor and efforts to change New York State’s rape law and are committed to an independent external review of all aspects of how Cornell has handled this case."
The offices of New York's attorney general and the Tompkins County district attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
"According to new reports, [Jane Doe] could not have been clearer that she was 100% confident that she had been raped. Yet, shockingly, those words never made it into the account that the Cornell police sent to prosecutors," Hochul explained, citing a New York Times article. The report claimed Doe did tell Cornell police officers that she was raped, but that information did not make its way into the voluntary statement the department sent to the district attorney's office.
"The attorney general then declined to pursue charges after reviewing that incomplete account and never interviewing her. Think about that. In what world would the police learn from a victim that she'd been literally gang raped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house, and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney? In what world does the district attorney not even interview her or anyone else involved, or even request the full transcript?" Hochul asked.
Matthew Van Houten, the Tompkins County district attorney, claimed he had never been informed the statement he received was inaccurate or incomplete.
"I have never been contacted by Jane Doe’s attorneys. Not to inform me the original statement was inaccurate and not to ask me to reconsider our decision. Rather, I reached out to Jane Doe’s attorneys after the lawsuit was filed to understand the discrepancy between the original statement and the lawsuit’s allegations and the proper path forward in light of the lawsuit’s allegations," he wrote in his statement.
Hochul told the public during her press conference that, in addition to James' criminal investigation, Cornell University has also reopened an investigation.
Ben Affleck rejects 'propaganda' opposing AI, insists emerging technology will help filmmakers
LOS ANGELES — Ben Affleck is fed up with what he calls "propaganda" against artificial intelligence as he has become one of Hollywood's most vocal proponents of the emerging technology.
Affleck made headlines in July when it was announced that Netflix paid him a whopping $587 million for his AI startup InterPositive, a venture virtually no one in the industry knew he had been working on.
Appearing Wednesday at the Bloomberg Screentime summit, Affleck was asked about the "cynical take" critics had over the deal, which claimed Netflix bought his company so it can do "despicable things" with AI with a reputable filmmaker attached to "provide cover."
"Well, that's a very cynical view indeed," Affleck reacted to the question.
The Oscar-winning writer and producer insisted Netflix isn't in a position to do "despicable things" and alienate artists because "they need to be in business with people," describing the streamer as being "super judicious" when it comes to his various projects.
"I'm sitting down with directors going, 'Look, man, you can just, you can change the background here, you can do this, you can do that.' And what I find is that filmmakers and people — once they sit with it and have a sense of control and a sense of understanding what's happening, and it moves from this nebulous abstract terrifying alien, you know, 'It's gonna to kill us all like we're paper clips…' all this propaganda," Affleck said.
"And they actually see what it is — it's another form of computing that does tools and is a technological advancement that's really in keeping with a long-standing series of technological improvements we've made in the film and television business."
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"It's like the switch. They go, 'Oh great, wonderful.' And it's being used on films now where they're the same number of people. In fact, more people, technically, are being employed. And I think it's — they have been absolutely, in my view, true to their word of we want to make what we're doing better. We're not trying to just, you know, slash cost or do heinous things," he continued.
The "Argo" director revealed he used AI for "lots of things" in his forthcoming Netflix film "Animals," but refrained from pointing to specific examples of it, comparing it to a magician spoiling their tricks.
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When asked what parts of the industry he thought would be most affected by AI, Affleck dismissed concerns about an industry takeover by the technology.
"When I worry about AI, I worry about like my kids in school. I worry about 30% rise in, you know, the number of As given out at colleges over the last three years. I worry about learned helplessness. I worry about responsible use. I don't worry about Skynet and I don't think that it's going to take over this business in any meaningful way. I think it's going to be additive," Affleck said, referencing the fictional AI system in the "Terminator" movies.
"But I think someone has to actually step in and do it in a way where it is that you can't just bury your head in the sand. It needs to be incorporated. Like a lot of technologies, it requires getting comfortable and getting familiar with. And then immediately it's knowable. You see all the ways in which it doesn't work, all the failures. The sort of dumb nature of it in a lot of ways, and it becomes a knowable thing," he added.
Prepare for outages: This mini generator hits an Amazon all-time low — over 40% off
With sudden, intense storms becoming more commonplace, having backup power is a must. The BLUETTI Elite 10 Mini provides reliable power for all your electronics and select small appliances, without you having to run to the garage to power up a giant generator. At just four pounds, you can quite literally take it anywhere. Get it now for 43% off.
Original price: $199
If a full-size generator purchase is intimidating or simply out of your budget, the BLUETTI Elite 10 Mini still offers the power of a larger machine in a compact, countertop-friendly power station. Better yet, it’s on sale right now for just $113 — nearly $90 in savings.
With an AC outlet and multiple USB and DC ports, this BLUETTI runs your must-have countertop appliances at home during blackouts, keeps your devices charged on road trips and powers a basic camping setup.
The whole setup weighs just four pounds, so it’s easy to move from room to room or throw in your luggage when traveling. Managing the system is just as easy with Bluetooth mode. Track the charging status in real time and switch between the three lighting modes — a helpful feature for emergencies.
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Winter is on the way, which means more frequent storms that cause blackouts. Having backup power, like this BLUETTI, on hand can help you make it through an outage without causing a huge interruption to your normal routine.
The price of this power bank is also at a sweet spot right now, and hasn’t been this low since August. A 43% discount saves you nearly $90 and gives you an entry-level mini generator that doesn’t take up a lot of space and doesn’t require any hardwiring.
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Hundreds of rave reviews land the BLUETTI Elite 10 Mini 4.3 out of 5 stars. One reviewer called it "power in a pint-sized unit," explaining that it’s an "extremely versatile and very, very compact power station."
Others also love it for its portability, even when flying:
"It’s also surprisingly lightweight and not bulky at all, which makes it easy to toss into a bag without thinking twice," a reviewer said. "TSA approval was a big reason I went with it, and it made airport security a non-issue."
Its small size doesn’t mean it’s less capable, however.
"Don't think because it is small, that it's not functional like her big brothers," said a reviewer. "I already have a BLUETTI EB3A and this Elite 10 Mini is perfect because it fills the gap where the EB3A is too big. Just keep in mind that this 10 Mini is better than a regular power bank because it has its own AC Outlet port up to 200W."
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The most common complaint with this power station is its inability to work with Starlink. Multiple reviewers found that it’s not powerful enough to keep the connection.
"The only problem is it does not work well with a Starlink Mini satellite receiver, no matter how many connectors you try," a reviewer explained. "It doesn’t have enough power to power the satellite."
Another reviewer had the same issue:
"My BLUETTI AC200L has the same rated USB-C 100W port and powers the Starlink Mini just fine. However, despite having the same rated port, the Elite 10 leaves the Starlink Mini in an endless reboot loop."
The BLUETTI Elite 10 Mini comes highly rated, but if you need more power or want other features, check out these deals.
Original price: $589
If you need more power but still want a portable option, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 offers three 1,500-watt AC ports, multiple USB ports and a DC port. It’s priced at a 30-day low and has hundreds of positive reviews.
"I love this power station! It’s super quiet even on regular charging mode," said a reviewer. "It’s simple to use, the app has an easy-to-use interface, …and the build of the station is very rugged."
Original price: $1,199
Need something to power up your fridge in case of emergencies? The Anker SOLIX S2000 gives up to 35 hours of fridge backup. It’s a little heavier at 35 pounds but makes up for it in power, with eight outlets between the front and back. Reviews found that it still holds up after constant use:
"[I] powered my entire entertainment setup with it, and have done other things like cooking a steak and rice with an induction cooker and Instant Pot while off grid. So safe to say I have put the Anker to some real use, and it passed every test I threw at it."
Original price: $1,499
Keep your refrigerator running for up to four days with BLUETTI’s FridgePower backup. Unlike some of BLUETTI’s other bulkier models, the FridgePower is ultra-sleek and can slide right next to your fridge for easy connecting. Reviewers largely find that the power bank works well and stores away neatly.
"It does exactly what it needs to do, which is power my fridge when the power goes out, and it does so while being out of sight and out of mind," a reviewer said. "We've had a few power outages between a few minutes up to four hours, and the fridge has stayed on as expected. We have this battery sitting on top of the fridge, and because of how it's pushed into the cabinetry space, you can't see this thing unless you're 6 feet or taller."
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Original price: $699.99
Save $200 on EBL’s portable power station and get 2,400 watts to run all your devices. It supports up to 12 devices, making it the ideal camping companion or tailgating support. During outages, emergency power mode automatically switches on in seconds, so you stay online with few interruptions. One reviewer called it the "perfect power station."
"I’m really happy with this portable power station. It’s compact and easy to carry, but has plenty of power for charging phones, laptops, lights and other small devices. I especially like the multiple ports and wireless charging option. The display is clear and easy to read, and it feels solid and well-made."
Supermarket voted best grocery store in America as customers praise meal kits, variety of offerings
The Fresh Market, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, recently took home a coveted award in the supermarket space — and its CEO revealed to Fox News Digital exactly why he feels the company won.
The store grabbed the No. 1 spot in the Best Grocery Store category of the 2026 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
The store also took home first-place trophies in the Best Produce, Best Deli, Best Prepared Foods and Best Bakery sub-categories.
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Brian Johnson, president and CEO of The Fresh Market, shared his enthusiasm about the award but also said it's not based on one factor, but many.
"I really fell in love with the brand [from] day one," he said, "and it makes it really easy to come to work every day. We have a great team here at the Fresh Market."
He's been CEO for a little over six years. The supermarket chain has over 170 locations across 22 states.
Founded by Ray and Beverly Berry in 1982, The Fresh Market was inspired by European food markets and designed to provide a more "intimate and personalized shopping experience," the store’s website says.
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Emphasis is placed on fresh, high-quality ingredients and prepared foods, plus a strong sense of hospitality, the organization said.
"When you buy a fresh product from us, you can be assured that our team has curated only the best, the freshest produce, the freshest-cut meat. We cut meat fresh in our store every day," Johnson said.
"Every store has multiple butchers on staff, and so when you buy meat from one of our stores, you're getting the freshest available," he added.
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Johnson also touted the ready-to-eat meals available at The Fresh Market. "Our mission statement is to make the everyday eating extraordinary and also to make it easy."
A customer noted "the variety of veggies" available for sale "in your steam bags. Already prepared, so easy and wonderful variety. The produce area is always organized, neat, orderly and not a single spoiled thing in sight," according to the company's website.
Another customer called out the Peppercorn Steak Market meal kit offered by the store.
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Over the last year, five stores have been added to The Fresh Market fleet, with plans for more growth in the future, Johnson said.
Other grocery stores that earned spots in the USA Today 10Best rankings included Publix, Kroger and ALDI.
Customers said they appreciated ALDI’s affordability, while Publix was cited for its cleanliness and friendly staff.
Shoppers said they valued Kroger for its convenience and its wide selection of products.
Johnson thanked store guests who voted for The Fresh Market.
"We really don't take that for granted, and we really appreciate that ... We feel very close to our guests," he said, "It's kinda like family."
DOJ moves to boot federal judges from immigration cases over NYT interview
The Justice Department wants several Minnesota federal judges removed from immigration cases after accusing them of crossing an ethical line by publicly criticizing President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
The complaint argued the judges improperly commented on the Trump administration's immigration enforcement while related cases were still pending, undermining public confidence in their impartiality.
Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Wednesday that the Justice Department filed a judicial misconduct complaint with the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals against seven Minnesota federal judges over their participation in a New York Times interview published last September.
"These judges talked to the media, or at least The New York Times, about cases, some of which are ongoing, in a manner which the Department views as a clear violation of their ethical duties," Blanche said.
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The complaint specifically names Judge Patrick Schiltz, appointed by President George W. Bush, and Judge John Tunheim, a Clinton appointee, along with unnamed district judges who also participated in the interviews. The Justice Department asked the Eighth Circuit's Judicial Council to investigate the judges' conduct and order Schiltz and Tunheim to recuse themselves from Department of Homeland Security immigration cases, arguing that their impartiality could reasonably be questioned.
But, whether that happens, however, is not up to the Justice Department.
Under the federal judiciary's judicial misconduct process, complaints are reviewed within the judicial branch.
The chief judge of the circuit — which for the Eighth Circuit is Steven Colloton, a Bush-appointee — would first determine whether a complaint should be dismissed or referred to a special committee for further investigation, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. If a committee is appointed, it submits findings to the circuit's Judicial Council, which decides whether any corrective action is appropriate. The judiciary also notes that the misconduct process "cannot be used to obtain automatic disqualification of a judge presiding over a case" or simply challenge a judge's legal rulings.
The Justice Department's complaint stemmed from a Sept. 17, 2026, New York Times article in which Judge Schiltz and Tunheim and six other Minnesota federal judges discussed the wave of immigration litigation that followed the Trump administration's "Operation Metro Surge." The judges described an unprecedented influx of habeas petitions and reflected on how the cases strained court resources, while also expressing concerns about aspects of the administration's immigration enforcement efforts.
Both Schiltz, who sat for a nearly 90-minute interview, and Tunheim made remarks that were specifically cited in the DOJ complaint.
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The Department argued those interviews crossed an ethical line because they addressed issues involved in active litigation. The complaint cited comments attributed to Schiltz describing the administration's actions as threatening "the constitutional order" and "the rule of law," as well as remarks from Tunheim criticizing the administration's immigration arrests.
The Justice Department alleged that those statements violated the Code of Conduct for United States Judges by commenting publicly on ongoing matters and creating the appearance that the judges had prejudged issues that were likely to come before them.
"The Framers insulated judges so they would exercise judgment, not will," Chad Mizelle, chair of Litigation for America First Policy Institute, wrote on X. "What we have now is the inverse: a bench enslaved to its own political ideology. When judges become politicians in a robe, the system starts to collapse."
Mizelle pointed out that, in the past, judges have been removed from cases due to their conversations with the press, which "created an appearance of bias."
"In 2001, Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson gave embargoed interviews, including to the Times, while handling United States v. Microsoft," Mizelle wrote on X. "The D.C. Circuit called that conduct 'deliberate, repeated, egregious and flagrant' and removed him from the case. That standard still applies. What has changed is the willingness of sitting judges to ignore it."
Meanwhile Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison chalked the complaint up to be the Trump administration's attempt to intimidate judges.
"This complaint has nothing to do with judicial ethics and everything to do with political punishment," Ellison said in a statement. "Blanche and Trump are trying to punish the judges who ruled against federal government actions during Operation Metro Surge — including the Administration’s undisputed non-compliance at the time with hundreds of court orders — even though sometimes the court ruled with the government."
France’s teen riots take explosive new turn as government points finger at hard left
Violent student unrest intensified across France on Friday as riot police clashed with teenagers in several cities, roughly 400 high schools remained shuttered and authorities said some 2,000 people had been arrested since the protests began — while the government increasingly blamed the country’s hard left.
Tear gas filled streets in Strasbourg, protesters fired fireworks toward police lines in Marseille, and garbage bins were set ablaze in Rennes, while clashes also broke out in Paris, Reuters reported Friday. The latest violence marks a sharp escalation from the unrestt reported by Fox News Digital Thursday, when hundreds had been arrested as school blockades and clashes spread across the country.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin told RTL radio Friday that approximately 2,000 people — most of them teenagers — had been arrested since the protests erupted. He said parents whose children damage property should be required to pay reparations, according to Reuters.
"In the streets, the children are in danger," Education Minister Édouard Geffray told BFM TV.
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Euronews reported Friday that at least 65 school staff members, including 40 principals, have been injured since the unrest began, along with roughly 170 students. More than 100 high schools have suffered what Geffray described as "severe damage."
The protests began over complaints about overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, long school days and deteriorating facilities. Students have blamed years of underinvestment for conditions inside schools, as the government unveiled its draft 2027 budget Thursday. Under the proposal, education spending would rise 1.7% to 65.53 billion euros, excluding teacher pensions — an increase below the rate of inflation, according to Reuters.
But as the protests have grown more violent, the unrest has also become a major political fight.
French intelligence agencies told a government crisis meeting Thursday that the protest movement had been initiated by politicians from the hard-left France Unbowed Party, known as LFI, Reuters reported Friday.
LFI lawmakers rejected the allegation and accused President Emmanuel Macron's government of politicizing the protests ahead of France's 2027 presidential election.
Le Monde reported Friday that Geffray accused LFI of fueling the initial demonstrations before saying the movement had been "taken hostage by ultra-left groups." LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has denied responsibility for the violence.
Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, senior envoy to Europe at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the unrest began with legitimate concerns but has since evolved into something far more serious.
"The students’ grievances about missing teachers and deteriorating schools were real at first," Rodan-Benzaquen said. "But dousing a principal in gasoline and attacking firefighters are acts of extreme violence. What makes this politically significant is the effort to turn frustration over schools into a much broader confrontation with the government."
The protests are quickly becoming a major issue in the campaign to succeed Macron next May, with Mélenchon denouncing the government’s response as repressive. Rodan-Benzaquen said LFI has "actively supported the mobilization," adding that "activists circulate footage of clashes, party accounts amplify it and elected officials present themselves as the students’ defenders."
"With an election next year," she said, "Mélenchon sees these mobilizations as a way to consolidate young voters and marginalize the moderate left. At a time of deep political, geopolitical and economic challenges, this is a very dangerous situation for France."
Marine Le Pen also accused LFI of playing a direct role in the unrest. "This is no longer about high school student protests. It is about riots organized by professionals and overseen by deputies from La France Insoumise," Le Pen wrote on X in a translated post. "We must pass a new anti-rioters law so that participation in a riot is a clearly identified offense."
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The government has now deployed specialized riot police and mobile gendarmes as authorities struggle to contain the unrest, Le Monde reported.
The government's response is also drawing scrutiny. Students and rights groups have accused police of excessive force against minors, including the use of batons, tear gas and non-lethal weapons. Amnesty International warned against excessive force, while France's Interior Ministry said Friday that three investigations into alleged police violence had been opened, according to Reuters.
The unrest may also be beginning to spread beyond France. Students in Liège, Belgium, began demonstrating Thursday, and high schools there were closed Friday.
Fox News Digital reached out to the French government, the Education Ministry, the Interior Ministry and La France Insoumise for comment but did not receive responses in time for publication.
Tyler Speicher and Reuters contributed to this story.
NBA's Portland Trail Blazers hire announcer, then fire him hours later over tweets from his teenage years
The Portland Trail Blazers fired 29-year-old Braiden Bell on Thursday, just hours after naming him their lead TV announcer, over decade-old social media posts he made when he was a teenager.
Bell, who over from the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury to replace veteran Kevin Calabro as the youngest primary broadcaster in the NBA, was out of a job before he even put on a headset.
The firing came after local station KGW unearthed tweets from Bell's account written between 2012 and 2014. In a December 2012 post, a 15-year-old Bell wrote, "I'm not racist at all.. But not gonna lie.. Asian people piss me off! Hahaha #Honest."
In July 2013, he added, "no blacks either. #racist." He also appeared to make disparaging remarks about women in some posts.
The Trail Blazers didn’t hesitate as they essentially hired Bell, announced him and fired him hours later.
Panicking in real time, Blazers executives skipped administrative leave and terminated Bell that evening with an official statement:
"The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments. Social media posts made by our recently announced play-by-play broadcaster are in clear violation of team and league policies, as well as our values and expectations. Therefore, we will not be moving forward with this broadcaster.
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"The play-by-play role carries a long legacy of excellence, on the broadcast and in character, and we hold that standard without exception. We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City. We believe strongly that everyone who is a part of Rip City should feel welcome and safe and we will make sure that our new broadcaster reflects these values. We will do better."
Some critics on social media were quick to call out the Blazers' panic and surrender to online outrage over 10th-grade tweets.
"This guy's career may have just been ruined. Before he even graduated high school. Did he post something stupid as a stupid kid? Or do we really believe those posts as a child reflect who he is as an adult? Do ppl even care or do we just want blood? Is this really what we want?"
Another user accused the team of "virtue signaling by the franchise to hang this over his head and destroy his career over it."
The Trailblazers did not immediately respond to OutKick's request for comment.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela