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Nancy Mace has a message for the libs who were triggered by her SEC Saturday, Caleb Williams memes & Brady!
'Nightcaps' is a daily column that catches you up on the biggest sports, news and culture stories you may have missed while pretending to do work at your desk. It runs Monday-Friday on OutKick.com.
Don't look now, but we're embarking on the final full week of September. I know. Doesn't seem possible, but here we are.
It's why we have to cherish every single one of these fall weekends, folks. They take so long to get here, and then you look up and we're already into Week 4 of the college football season.
Blink, and we'll be ringing doorbells for candy. Blink again, and we'll be carving turkeys.
Don't let a single day go to waste. We're in the best time of year.
Welcome to a Monday Nightcaps — the one where Nancy Mace sends her haters a stern message after they got all riled up over her attending Saturday's South Carolina game.
"Go Cocks!"
What else? I've got Caleb Williams memes flooding the internet after yesterday's wild injury (and reaction), Tom Brady ruffled some feathers with his language on yesterday's broadcast (silly), and I think college football really separated itself from the NFL this weekend.
I assume it'll swing back and forth throughout the season, but it was pretty stark yesterday. I'll explain.
OK, grab you whatever it was Patrick Mahomes was slugging back before last night's OT win, and settle in for a Monday 'Cap!
No, it wasn't anything nefarious. That little cocktail would be pickle juice — a staple for any athlete. My wife loves pickle juice. I despise it.
I love pickles. Can't stand pickle juice. People just drink that stuff out of the jar. It's unfathomable to me.
But, to each their own. We don't judge here. (We do).
Anyway, let's get this class going. It's a Monday, and the official last day of summer given the fall equinox begins tomorrow. We're back in the 80s pretty consistently here in Florida, so it's almost sweater weather!
First up today? Nancy Mace triggering the left with her SEC video over the weekend, and then sending the haters a strongly worded message after the dust settled:
"I've had some time to reflect on my attendance at a college football game last night and then had the nerve to tweet about it," Mace says, referring to the internet melting down her "Go Cocks!" caption.
"So this post goes out to all the liberals, libtards, socialists, leftists, and trolls that don't think women should attend football games or cheer for their team with their college football chant. I want you to know that I've unpacked your lived experiences and I've centered your truth and your feelings. Your feelings are valid. But despite all of that, I'm unburdened by what has been.
"And so I'm going to attend — I've decided I'm going to attend the next football game and enjoy the hell out of it."
SEC TEAMS WENT 16-0 IN WEEK 1, IS THE CONFERENCE BACK ON TOP OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL WORLD?
It just means more in the SEC, baby! Get 'em, Nancy. Don't let the haters win this round. "Go Cocks!" has been South Carolina's calling card forever now. You can't drive down the street in Columbia without seeing it.
The Gamecocks lost to Miss. State, 41-34, for what it's worth. Good game, though. Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor may be the best quarterback in college football. He feels like someone who won't be a Bulldog next season, sadly.
Next? Speaking of players who can sling the rock, Caleb Williams is all over the internet today. He went down with what appeared to be a season-ending injury late in Sunday's game against Minnesota, and it basically took the jaws of life to get him off the field and into the locker room.
Turns out, he just pulled a hammy.
Naturally, his reaction to the injury is getting ruthlessly mocked:
Amazing.
Look, I'm not here to tell you a hamstring strain doesn't hurt. It does. We also don't yet know how severe it is. It's never great when muscles get yanked off the bone.
But ... I legitimately thought Caleb Williams suffered a career-ending injury with his reaction. I've never seen a player yell or scream like that. Watching them try to walk him off the field was wild. I thought there was a real chance they were gonna have to call in the stretcher.
I figured we'd seen the last of him until next September ...
And then it came out last night that it was a hamstring injury. Not ACL. Not achilles. No broken bones. Hamstring.
He's not even being ruled out for next WEEK, according to Tom Pelissero! Amazing.
I like Caleb Williams, by the way. I think he's a superstar quarterback. Unfortunately, that meme will now be used for the rest of eternity.
As is life on the internet. It's a tough world out there.
OK, let's rapid-fire this Monday class into a big Monday night. Speaking of the internet jumping all over someone ...
Are people really mad at Tom Brady for saying "piss missile" on live TV? Is that not allowed? Am I got crazy? I've seen people whining on social media today because Brady cussed and said "piss" during the broadcast.
Give me a break. Everyone was mad at Tom two years ago because he was too robotic and reserved in the booth. Now we're mad at him for this? And no, I'm not just saying this because Brady is a Fox teammate. I'm saying it because it's NUTS how mad we get at the silliest things nowadays.
That ball from Dak WAS a piss missile! Get over it.
Finally, on the way out, I do have a question I'd like to leave for the class ...
I saw that post this morning and it really spoke to me.
NFL vs. College football ... who ya got? After this weekend, I think it's pretty clear college football is just better at the moment. And I'm a HUGE NFL guy. It's always been my No. 1 sport. Probably still is ...
But the gap is getting pretty small. I don't know how you can watch Ole Miss-LSU Saturday night, and then go into yesterday's 1 p.m. slate of games, and not feel a difference.
College football Saturdays are just so much better. Perhaps it's because of the day itself, which is fair. We all prefer Saturdays over Sundays. Can't fault the NFL for that.
But beyond that, the atmosphere is just better. The pregame shows. The hype. The crowds. The storylines. Most of all, college football almost always delivers.
LSU-Ole Miss delivered Saturday night. Even with all the hype, the game somehow still delivered.
Maybe this is simply recency bias on my part given yesterday's NFL slate was pretty awful. But I do think the difference was night and day this weekend.
Something to monitor.
OK, that's it for today. Happy last day of summer to all who celebrate.
Let's have a big week.
NFL or college? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.
Georgia school district defends pulling 'sexually explicit' book depicting child rape amid 'censorship' claims
A Georgia school district has removed Toni Morrison’s "The Bluest Eye" from its public school libraries, citing graphic depictions of child rape and incest in the award-winning novel.
The book joins over 30 other titles removed by Cobb County, Georgia’s second-largest school district, since 2023 as part of an effort to remove sexually explicit material from K-12 media centers.
District leaders say the move is intended to protect students and give parents more control over what their kids are exposed to, while free-speech advocates argue the removal amounts to censorship and limits students’ access to literature.
"We're no more banning the book than we are banning rated-R movies. It's just that we are removing those with sexually explicit content and allowing our parents to make those decisions for their families," Cobb County Superintendent Chris Ragsdale told Fox News Digital.
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Ragsdale said district colleagues brought the book to his attention because of concerns about excerpts dealing with sexual topics. At a board meeting, Ragsdale read aloud one explicit passage that depicts the rape of an 11-year-old girl by her father.
"Both as a father and as a superintendent, I think about a parent having to explain to their sixth-grade daughter after she encounters explicit descriptions of child incest and rape in a book provided at school, without parents' knowledge," Ragsdale said in the book removal announcement posted online.
"As the superintendent responsible for the instruction of 100,000 students, I do not have the luxury of making that decision for other parents and their children," he added.
The district announced the book would join dozens of others removed from school shelves, including the popular "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," "Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl," and "Thirteen Reasons Why." The latter was eventually adapted into a Netflix series about a high school girl who dies by suicide.
District officials said other works by Toni Morrison remain available in Cobb County schools. The district says its removals target books containing sexually explicit passages.
Ragsdale acknowledged the author’s award-winning status, but argued that awards do not mean a book belongs in every K-12 school library. He said books containing sexually explicit material are subject to a separate administrative review process, rather than Georgia’s standard process for parent challenges.
The superintendent rejected the characterization of the district’s actions as book banning or censorship.
"And there's not a single classroom in our school district that will show a rated R movie during class to students," Ragsdale said. "Same thing for these books that contain sexually explicit material. That needs to be a parental decision made in the parents and the child's house."
"One size does not fit all. So we can't just make a cross-the-board decision for parents and expect that every parent is going to agree with that decision," Ragsdale later added. "We want the parents to be able to be empowered to make the decisions that, as parents, they should be able to make."
Parental advocacy group Moms for Liberty echoed Ragsdale’s argument, telling Fox News Digital that schools are not required to stock every book and can decide what their students have access to in the school library.
"Schools are not required to stock every published work. They already restrict internet access, movies, and other materials for age-appropriateness," said Tina Descovich, Moms for Liberty CEO and co-founder.
"The book ‘The Bluest Eye’ went through the Cobb County School District’s review process and the process worked. The community determined that graphic descriptions of the rape and incest of a young girl in a book on shelves accessible to 11-year-old students in school, often without a parent’s knowledge or consent, is not acceptable," Descovich added.
"At the end of the day, this is about protecting students and ensuring parents are not blindsided by their child’s assigned reading list," she said.
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Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read Director at PEN America, criticized the decision and said Morrison’s works are often targeted using excerpts that are taken out of the context of the books as a whole.
"While that particular part of a book can be really difficult to read and to sit with and grapple with, what we continue to point to is that books are not harmful, censorship is," Meehan told Fox News Digital.
"So what we hear time and time again is that books like ‘The Bluest Eye’ and other books that talk about sex, talk about consensual sex, as well as talk about violence and sexual experiences, they help young people gain really profound and necessary literacy around what consent is, what harm is and how to be in relationships that are mutually loving," she later added.
Meehan also challenged the district’s argument regarding parental choice, saying district-wide decisions restrict access to books for every student, regardless of age or interest.
"Increasingly, we've seen the way in which state laws or politicians or even broadly, district administrators are making decisions that affect the access of books for every student in the district, regardless of age, regardless of interest," Meehan said.
"I think we often point to that making these broad, sweeping decisions that restrict access to titles, restrict the freedom to read for every student in that district," she said. "[It] undercuts the professional expertise of educators and librarians who see, of course, the literary merit and value in having that book accessible for young readers."
Meehan also warned that what may begin with the removal of a single book could expand to other titles.
"While it may seem like it's one book, censorship is a slippery slope, and it never actually ends with just one book or one title," Meehan said. "Oftentimes, districts that ban one book then continue to remove all kinds of literature from school."
White House won't back down as attorney predicts how Trump's latest press tussle will play out in court
An attorney at a nonprofit that defends the First Amendment doesn't think President Donald Trump will come out on top in a legal battle with three media outlets he banned from the White House.
But after announcing on Friday his ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico — and the resulting lawsuit against him — the White House told Fox News Digital that Trump isn't backing down.
"I think the Trump administration will not fare well in court because its action here is blatantly unconstitutional," predicted Aaron Terr, the director of public advocacy at the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
Trump took to TRUTH Social on Friday to announce that employees with the three major media outlets will be banned from White House grounds over "reporting FAKE NEWS. He said they "shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they're covering the President of the United States."
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Terr says that what media outlets report is not at issue.
"There's settled precedent that when the White House opens its doors to the press, which it has done, the First Amendment walks in too," Terr said. "So that means the administration can't ban reporters from the White House grounds just because it doesn't like their point of view or thinks their coverage is too negative or critical, and the president in his statements has been crystal clear that this was the exact reason that he banned CNN, MSN, and ... Politico from the entire White House grounds."
Reporters and cameramen with the outlets removed their gear and set up on Pennsylvania Ave. over the weekend and this week continued to film live hits from across the street rather than from their usual spots on White House grounds.
In response to Terr's assessment, the White House remained defiant about the ban.
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Monday morning, the three news outlets filed a lawsuit against Trump seeking an injunction that would halt the president's ban temporarily, and asking the court to immediately order the restoration of the media members' White House credentials.
CNN was scheduled for White House television pool coverage on Monday. Fox News Media, ABC News, CBS News and NBC News, the other press pool networks, announced in a joint statement that they would not take CNN's place.
"The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting," the pool members said in a joint statement.
Additionally, White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) President Jacqui Heinrich of Fox News, released a statement expressing the organization's support of the outlets.
"Today’s action revoking access for journalists from CNN, POLITICO, and MSNOW violates the First Amendment," she wrote. "The implications extend beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future."
"The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably," she continued. "The WHCA calls on the administration to immediately restore our colleagues’ access."
Terr said that while nobody has a First Amendment right to report from the White House, he said court precedent established that once a media outlet gains access to the White House, that access cannot be revoked for ideological reasons.
"The principle here is that once the government provides access, it then can't condition that access on whether you're expressing a viewpoint that the government agrees with," he said. "It's a broader First Amendment principle that the government cannot retaliate against Americans for protected speech, and that includes revoking news outlets' access to a space open to the press just because the president doesn't like the actual or perceived slant of their report."
Terr noted that while there can be bias in media, the alternative of government-controlled media could result in a much worse outcome.
"The First Amendment is designed to prevent exactly that type of government control over the flow of information in a free society," he said. "The First Amendment guarantees that reporters are free to cover the news in a way that they think is best, and it's up to the American public to hear what they have to say and decide whether or not to trust them and their coverage of the government and other issues in our society."
Kyler Murray clears concussion protocol and will start for Vikings against Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kyler Murray is back for the Minnesota Vikings.
Coach Kevin O'Connell announced Monday afternoon that the quarterback has cleared the NFL concussion protocol and will start on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Murray missed Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears because he was knocked out of the Week 1 game against the Green Bay Packers.
The hit was ugly, and although Murray walked to the locker room and seemed totally responsive in the hours afterward, he was placed in the NFL concussion protocol.
Murray, who won the starting job in training camp against J.J. McCarthy, was thus subjected to testing by independent physicians to determine his status.
And while that happened, Carson Wentz directed a comeback win against the Packers and then a victory over the Bears on Sunday.
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The Vikings lead the NFC North with a 2-0 record.
Sunday's victory was not exactly an offensive explosion, which might explain why O'Connell didn't hesitate in handing the starting job back to Murray.
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Wentz completed 11 of 20 passes for a modest 143 without a touchdown or interception in the 9-3 victory over the Bears.
The time Wentz played in his place was not wasted by Murray, according to O'Connell.
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"I think the starting point is he's just watched Carson really function in a way that there wasn't, Carson wasn't, you know, doing crazy things," O'Connell said. "He was just protecting the football, making good decisions, making some big-time throws when he could, and running the show.
"And and I think [Murray] saw some plays get made. I think he saw our team play totally connected and complimentary of all of the other two phases and what that can do for the Minnesota Vikings on a Sunday."
Frightening object caught by TSA inside passenger's baseball bat-shaped flashlight
A passenger's attempt to bring an unusual item through airport security in Florida quickly caught the attention of highly trained Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers.
At Tampa International Airport recently, TSA officers discovered a 4-inch, double-edged knife concealed inside a baseball bat-shaped flashlight, according to an employee story published on the agency's website.
TSA Officer Andrew Carter was screening the passenger's carry-on bag with an X-ray machine when he noticed something unusual about the flashlight — and flagged the bag for a closer look.
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"The makeup and composition of the flashlight appeared unusual and outside what I typically expect, so I determined it required further examination," Carter said in the published note.
Supervisory TSA Officer Michael Slaughter then searched the bag — and felt a mass beneath its lining.
After opening the lining, he found the baseball bat-shaped flashlight and noticed a line along its shaft.
"That is when it detached from the flashlight — revealing a 4-inch double-edged knife integrated into the handle," he said.
When the passenger was questioned, he initially said he did not know the item was in his bag.
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But after airport police arrived, he said he'd placed it beneath the suitcase lining to save space, according to TSA.
The passenger was arrested and was not allowed to travel, the agency said.
Keith Jeffries, the Florida-based vice president of K2 Security Screening Group and a former federal security director for TSA at Los Angeles International Airport, told Fox News Digital that concealed blades are not unheard of at airport checkpoints.
"It's not uncommon to see artfully concealed blades inside of items," Jeffries said.
He pointed to walking canes as one example, noting that passengers are sometimes unaware that a blade is inside an item they purchased.
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The Tampa case raised a different concern because the passenger reportedly admitted to intentionally concealing the item, Jeffries said.
"Once you do that, that falls right into the category of artful concealment — which leads to certainly a grave concern," he said.
Passengers who bring knives to checkpoints may be able to voluntarily surrender them and continue traveling, while law enforcement decisions depend on the circumstances of each incident, TSA said.
Travelers could also potentially face a civil penalty, while TSA PreCheck members could lose access to the program, Jeffries said.
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His advice to travelers is to know exactly what is inside their luggage and not attempt to test airport security.
"Pack your own bag, know what's in your bag and do not try to test the system," Jeffries said.
"Do not test the security system. You will lose," he emphasized.
Fox News Digital reached out to the TSA for further comment.
SEE IT: Chinese nationals intercepted in ‘extremely dangerous’ infiltration attempt near Florida coast
A smuggling vessel filled with Chinese nationals and other illegal immigrants was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Coast Guard in what sources called a rare and "extremely dangerous" attempt to enter the U.S. through Florida.
CBP confirmed the interdiction exclusively with Fox News, sharing video and photos of U.S. authorities intercepting the vessel, which was carrying 22 illegal immigrants, including 13 Chinese nationals. The boat, a 27-foot cuddy cabin vessel, was stopped, and the migrants aboard were arrested without incident Tuesday. The interdiction took place near Angelfish Creek, Florida, near Key Largo.
According to the agency, a CBP Air and Marine Operations multi-role enforcement aircraft first detected the vessel. The interdiction, carried out by CBP alongside Coast Guard personnel, resulted in the apprehension of one suspected smuggler, a Cuban national, 13 Chinese nationals, eight Ecuadorian nationals and one Dominican national.
Sources emphasized to Fox News that it is extremely rare for Chinese nationals to attempt to enter the U.S. through maritime Caribbean routes that are typically used by Haitians, Dominicans and Cubans. During the Biden administration, Chinese nationals typically entered the U.S. through land routes in California and Texas, which are now subject to tighter enforcement under the Trump administration.
Andres Blanco, executive director of Air and Marine Operations Southeast Region, told Fox News that "attempting to enter the United States illegally by sea is extremely dangerous and will not go undetected."
Blanco said that "this interdiction demonstrates the strength of our maritime partnerships and our commitment to stopping human smuggling organizations before they can put more lives at risk."
He added that "those who attempt these dangerous voyages face arrest, prosecution, removal, and the very real possibility of losing their lives at sea."
The illegal immigrants were transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Pablo Valent for processing. Meanwhile, authorities seized the vessel.
After the operation, Coast Guard Lt. Corryn Ulrich, the commanding officer of the Pablo Valent, told Fox News that "the U.S. border remains secure due to highly capable teams and coordinated interagency enforcement" and that "we remain ready to save lives and enforce federal law at sea."
The CBP Air and Marine Operations unit is designed to anticipate and confront aviation and maritime threats to America’s national integrity, according to the agency.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet Thursday in Washington, D.C.
Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang claimed that, despite the leaders trumpeting a positive relationship, Xi is mulling a war against the United States and organizing troops "for battle."
"Xi Jinping keeps on talking about going to war against us… and also he's preparing China's society, civilian and military, for battle. And we think we're at peace," Chang said Sunday on "Fox News Live." "So, this is a very dangerous period for us."
Chang’s remarks follow reports that China aided Iran in attacks that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan earlier this summer.
ICE SHOOTING ROCKS AUSTIN AS DEMOCRAT DEMANDS BODYCAM VIDEO, INDEPENDENT PROBE
The incident comes amid renewed debate over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot a Venezuelan illegal immigrant in Austin on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security said the man shot by the officer, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, "illegally entered the country under the Biden administration and had a final order of removal during a law enforcement operation."
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His lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, has contested DHS’ statement, saying Perez entered the U.S. lawfully. According to DHS, he survived and is in stable condition and is in federal custody pending removal. The incident has resulted in large protests in Austin and Democratic politicians condemning ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement.
Fox News Digital's Nora Moriarty and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
Presley Gerber's death being investigated as 'a suspected overdose': police
Presley Gerber's cause of death was "deferred," according to online records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. He was 27.
The medical examiner told Fox News Digital that "the investigation is still ongoing and there is limited information available."
Santa Monica Police Department officials are investigating the death as "a suspected overdose," according to a release from the department.
Officers responded to a report of a possible overdose at approximately 9:35 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 20. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male who was deceased.
PRESLEY GERBER, SON OF CINDY CRAWFORD AND RANDE GERBER, DEAD AT 27
PRESLEY GERBER, SON OF CINDY CRAWFORD AND RANDE GERBER, DEAD AT 27: A LIFE IN PHOTOS
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner (DME) identified the individual as Presley Gerber.
At this time, there is no indication of foul play, and Gerber's case remains open.
"The official cause and manner of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner," police said.
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The DME is in "the early stages of investigating the death of 27-year-old model Presley Gerber and limited information is currently available," according to a statement from the department.
"A deputy medical examiner performed an examination today and the cause and manner of death have been deferred, which means additional testing and/or studies were requested in order to make a determination."
They added, "Due to the ongoing death investigation, the DME cannot disclose what testing and/or studies were requested. Deferred cases can take a few months before a cause of death is determined."
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Presley was the only son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber and the older brother of model and actress Kaia Gerber.
"The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time," Crawford's representative said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
Presley had been open about his mental health struggles, speaking publicly about them on social media and in interviews.
3 VPN settings to check before your next trip
Has this happened to you? You're at the airport, connected to the terminal Wi-Fi, VPN running and feeling good about your security. You board, put your phone in airplane mode, land a few hours later and switch airplane mode off. Your phone finds the hotel Wi-Fi. You open your email and start scrolling.
What you probably didn't notice is the moment in between. For a few seconds, your phone may have been reconnecting while your VPN was still catching up. During that brief window, some traffic could have left your device without VPN protection.
Most websites today use HTTPS encryption, so losing your VPN for a few seconds does not mean everything you do suddenly becomes visible. Still, a VPN adds another layer of privacy, particularly when you are connecting to airport, hotel and coffee shop networks you do not control. Here's how you can reduce those connection gaps while traveling.
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HOW TO STREAM SAFELY WHILE TRAVELING OUTSIDE THE US
A VPN works by building an encrypted tunnel between your device and the internet. While that tunnel is active, your connection to the VPN server is encrypted. However, the VPN relies on an internet connection. When your phone drops one network and connects to another, the VPN may need to re-establish that tunnel.
Usually, this happens so quickly that you barely notice. However, a weak signal, slow hotel login page or network that takes a few extra seconds to connect can create a brief period when your device has internet access before the VPN reconnects.
This can happen during completely ordinary activities. You might switch from cellular data to airport Wi-Fi after landing. Later, your phone may move from the airport network to your hotel's Wi-Fi. The same thing can happen when your phone wakes from sleep in a new location or reconnects after losing cellular service. For travelers who move between networks frequently, those transitions are worth paying attention to.
When your VPN is disconnected, websites and online services can generally see the public IP address assigned by your internet provider or Wi-Fi network instead of the VPN server's IP address. That address can reveal information such as your approximate location and internet provider.
A VPN also helps prevent the operator of a Wi-Fi network from easily seeing details about the internet services your device is contacting. Most trusted websites and apps already encrypt sensitive traffic using HTTPS or other encryption. That greatly reduces what someone monitoring a public Wi-Fi connection can see.
However, risks remain if you connect to a fake or compromised Wi-Fi network. Someone controlling the network may try to direct you to a fraudulent login page, interfere with your connection or exploit websites and apps that are not properly encrypted.
A VPN adds another layer of protection by encrypting traffic between your device and the VPN server and masking your normal public IP address. A kill switch can provide an additional safeguard by preventing internet traffic from leaving your device if the VPN unexpectedly disconnects.
The first setting to check is auto-connect. Most VPN apps offer some form of automatic connection. Without it, your VPN may stay disconnected until you remember to open the app and turn it back on.
After a long flight, a trip through baggage claim and the rush to reach your hotel, that can be easy to forget. With auto-connect enabled, your VPN can attempt to restore its connection automatically when your device gets back online or joins a new network. Check your VPN app before traveling and make sure its automatic connection options are configured the way you want them.
THE TRICK TO SMOOTHER STREAMING AT HOME AND ON THE ROAD
The second setting to check is the kill switch. A VPN kill switch is designed to block internet traffic if your VPN unexpectedly disconnects. That helps prevent your device from simply falling back to an unprotected connection while the VPN is trying to reconnect.
However, kill switches do not all work exactly the same way. Some protect you only when the VPN connection unexpectedly drops. Others can be configured to block internet access whenever the VPN is not connected.
Android users may also have system-level options such as Always-on VPN and Block connections without VPN, depending on their device and VPN provider.
Some reputable VPN services also offer additional kill switch options on supported platforms. Keep in mind that stronger settings that block all traffic outside the VPN can interfere with local network features or internet access when the VPN is intentionally turned off. The important thing is to understand how your VPN's kill switch works before you depend on it while traveling.
There is one situation that can complicate things: the captive portal. That's the webpage airports, hotels and other public Wi-Fi networks sometimes require you to open before they grant internet access. You may need to accept terms, enter a room number or complete another login step.
Because your device does not yet have normal internet access, the VPN may not be able to connect until you finish that process. Strict kill switch settings can occasionally make this more difficult.
If you encounter a Wi-Fi login page, complete the network's sign-in process and then confirm that your VPN is connected before opening email, financial accounts or other sensitive services. Also make sure you are joining the correct Wi-Fi network. If you are uncertain, ask an airport employee, hotel staff member or business employee for the official network name.
Settings help, but reconnection speed also depends on the underlying technology your VPN uses. This is known as the VPN protocol. Different VPN protocols handle network changes in different ways. Some are particularly well suited to phones and laptops that frequently move between Wi-Fi and cellular connections. For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.
WHY YOUR VPN KEEPS GETTING BLOCKED AND THE SIMPLE FIX
Before your next trip, take a minute to check your VPN:
You should also test your setup before leaving home. Connect to your VPN, turn Wi-Fi off and switch to cellular data. Then turn Wi-Fi back on and watch what your VPN does. Does it reconnect automatically? Does the kill switch block traffic while the VPN is disconnected? How long does the connection take to return? A quick test can help you catch a setting that needs attention before you are relying on your VPN in an airport or hotel.
Most websites already use HTTPS encryption, so a brief VPN interruption does not leave all of your online activity exposed. Still, a VPN provides another valuable layer of privacy when you are using networks you do not control. The biggest issue for travelers is making sure the VPN actually reconnects when a phone or laptop moves between cellular service, airport Wi-Fi, hotel Wi-Fi and other networks. Turn on auto-connect, understand how your kill switch works and use a protocol that handles network changes efficiently. A few minutes spent checking your settings before a trip can help keep your VPN connection more consistent while you are on the move.
Have you ever noticed your VPN disconnect when switching networks, or is there a setting you use to keep it connected while traveling? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Colin Kaepernick says NFL and slavery are part of the 'same process' in interview with Ryan Clark
Colin Kaepernick doubled down on his comparison between the NFL and the slave trade during a conversation with, wait for it, former ESPN commentator Ryan Clark.
Clark asked Kaepernick about the comparison, which he made during the 2021 Netflix series "Colin in Black & White."
"What they don't want you to understand is what's being established is a power dynamic," Kaepernick narrates during the series while depicting the NFL Scouting Combine as a slave auction.
"Before they put you on the field, teams poke, prod and examine you, searching for any defect that might affect your performance. No boundary respected. No dignity left intact."
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Instead of challenging Kaepernick on the ludicrous and offensive comparison, Clark asked him the following during an interview on his "Pivot" podcast:
"When did you truly start to have the realization that [the combine] reminds [you] of the slave trade?"
Kaepernick was eager to answer.
"You get to the point, where it's like, 'Strip down to your drawers,’" he responded. "It feels like a meat market."
He added that he did not have the "historical perspective at the time" in 2011 to understand what he now considers a "parallel" to a slave auction.
Kaepernick acknowledged that the NFL pays players millions of dollars. However, he argued that the "process and intentions behind the process [are] the same" as slavery.
We encourage you to watch the clip below so you can rest assured that we did not make any of this up. Colin Kaepernick truly made the comparison again while Ryan Clark nodded along in amazement.
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It is hard to imagine a less honest or intelligent conversation taking place in sports media this year.
We say that after attending Kaepernick’s speaking event with Jemele Hill earlier this month, where he mocked the idea of dating a white woman and Hill suggested that the Atlanta Falcons should consider signing him right now.
For context, Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since January 2017. He continues to claim that he is "ready" to return to the league and trains every morning as if he is still an NFL starting quarterback.
In other words, he has not given up on his dream to become a slave once again.
No, seriously. Based on his logic, that is the message he's sending.
Navy veteran’s national anthem performance earns ‘best ever’ praise as he shares message of unity
A retired Navy petty officer is earning national attention after his powerful rendition of the national anthem ahead of Saturday's highly anticipated Ole Miss-LSU matchup left some fans calling it the "best ever."
While Generald Wilson described the opportunity to perform at the game as a "blessing," to him, taking the field was about more than setting the stage for the rivalry.
"My point is always to create unity in the national anthem," Wilson told "Fox & Friends First."
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"We have our differences, we have our different opinions. That's just the way it is, [but] that doesn't mean that we shouldn't continue to love each other."
Wilson's message of unity has followed him throughout his "National Anthem Tour," which he said dates back to 1998 and has taken him before countless crowds at major sporting events across the country.
With time, the Navy veteran has become so recognizable to fans that he has noticed resounding enthusiasm before he even begins to sing.
"I'm starting to see the appreciation for patriotism, the appreciation for me singing," Wilson said. "It warms my heart. It makes me feel good. Before they even say my name, the crowd is going bananas, just to see me on the jumbotron."
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Wilson has also become a familiar voice for Ole Miss fans, returning to perform at a special game nearly every year since around 2012.
This year, Wilson returned for the Rebels' heated matchup against LSU, a team now led by former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
"That crowd is awesome," Wilson said. "That's all I got to say about that."
Wilson also touched on his unlikely path to the national spotlight, recalling how his grandfather — whom the family called "Papa" — made a prediction about his future when he was just five years old.
"He told my uncles and my mom, like, 'You see that young man? He's gonna be somebody,'" Wilson recalled.
Expectations were not always high for those growing up in his hometown of Kinloch, Missouri, Wilson said, but he takes pride in the people who have gone on to pursue their calling.
"Most people say you wouldn't amount to too much coming out of there, but there are quite a few people that came out and are doing what God has called them to do," he said.
"So I'm just glad to be in that number."