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Walker Buehler takes the mound as red-hot San Diego Padres face Mets in series opener
I had just one play on the diamond yesterday, and it was a no-doubt, no-sweat victory. This was mostly thanks to Edward Cabrera of the Cubs allowing seven runs in the first inning of the game. When you have a total of just 8.5 for the day, giving up seven in the first makes for a pretty comfortable rest of the game. The teams combined for 15 runs yesterday, and we cashed our ticket quickly. Tonight might not be as quick, but let's get a ticket cashed comfortably today as the Padres play against the Mets.
The San Diego Padres are a team that I invested in around the All-Star Break, and they are starting to look like the investment has paid off. They are nine games above .500 and are sitting in second place in the NL West. They won't catch the Dodgers for the division, but if they keep this up, they should make the postseason without too much difficulty. They have been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past 24 days. Since July 24th, they have gone 17-5.
Tonight they look to keep that run alive by sending Walker Buehler to the hill. Buehler has been fine this season with a 7-5 record and a 4.88 ERA. He also has contributed 100 strikeouts and has a 1.43 WHIP. Buehler has struggled on the road with an ERA that is a full run higher than his homework. Buehler is a very frustrating pitcher because there are some stretches where you see just how good he can be — for example, in June he allowed five earned runs in five starts spanning 26.1 innings. Then in July, he allowed 16 earned runs in nine innings of work. He has been in one of his better stretches in August, allowing just five earned runs over 14.1 innings covering three starts. Mets hitters are batting .211 against him over 38 at-bats.
The New York Mets are one of the more frustrating teams in baseball. I'm not a Mets fan, but it is hard to make sense of why the team falls apart. If you look at their roster on paper, you have to assume they would be a winning club. I suppose looking at the pitching staff would give you pause, but they've seen success with guys in the rotation in the past. Their stats are not that much worse than the Padres, but in terms of wins, they are 13 games under .500.
NEW REPORT SUGGESTS THE NEW YORK METS ARE OPEN TO TRADING FRANCISCO LINDOR AMID DISASTROUS SEASON
In order to try and take this series opener from the Padres, the Mets send Nolan McLean to the hill. He has been one of their better pitchers this season with an 8-8 record, 3.42 ERA, and a 1.13 WHIP. He has also struck out 159 hitters in 136.2 innings of work. He has been worse in New York than on the road, with a 4.19 home ERA. He also has allowed double the number of homers. He has been strong over the past month or so. In his past eight starts, he has seven quality outings and allowed more than two earned runs in just two of them. Padres hitters are also batting just .176 against him in 18 at-bats.
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While both of these starters have been inconsistent at times in the season, they both seem to be in decent form at the moment. Neither team is really known for its offense this season, either. The Padres are certainly the hotter team at the moment. Now is the right time to back them. Buehler hasn't been great on the road, or overall, but I think we take the team that is on the hot streak and at plus money. Give me the Padres to win this one.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
House Republican suggests Sen Darline Graham is an 'ally' for the 'swamp'
Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, suggested in a post on X that Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., is an "ally" of the "swamp."
Graham, who finished the Aug. 11 South Carolina GOP special U.S. Senate primary in first place, will go head-to-head against second-place finisher Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in an Aug. 25 runoff.
"Ralph Norman will work to drain the swamp. The swamp wants allies not adversaries. The swamp appointed an ally. These are the stakes in South Carolina," Davidson wrote in the Monday social media post.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham to fill the seat of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, last month in the wake of the senator's death.
Fox News Digital attempted to reach out to Sen. Darline Graham's campaign on Monday.
MARK LYNCH ENDORSES RALPH NORMAN AS CONGRESSMAN HEADS INTO RUNOFF AGAINST DARLINE GRAHAM
President Donald Trump, who urged Graham to run and endorsed her prior to the special primary, is continuing to back her heading into the runoff contest.
"SOUTH CAROLINA: GET OUT AND VOTE FOR DARLINE GRAHAM ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 25TH. DARLINE HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" the president declared in an Aug. 14 Truth Social post.
DARLINE GRAHAM DETAILS HOW SHE'D FORGE OWN PATH IN SENATE WHILE CARRYING ON BROTHER LINDSEY'S LEGACY
The president's post included an image of a post on X in which Rep. Russell Fry, who placed third in the South Carolina special GOP U.S. Senate primary, urged those who backed him in that contest to vote for Graham during the runoff.
CNN staffers brace for Paramount CEO's potential plan to launch editorial board to oversee network
CNN staffers don't all appear to be enthusiastic about the idea of an editorial board overseeing the network if and when Paramount takes over its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.
Fox News Digital confirmed that Paramount CEO David Ellison is mulling the creation of an editorial board if he takes ownership of CNN, which falls under the WBD umbrella. The editorial board and other potential safeguards would be put in place to "ease concerns over [CNN's] news operation’s independence," according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the internal discussions.
"We always remain open to internal improvements to journalistic integrity," a Paramount spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital spoke with CNN staffers about what they think of the theoretical editorial board.
"I think we'd be fine with one," one CNN staffer reacted. "I mean editorial independence is always a good idea, however it is achieved... My colleagues just want the uncertainty gone."
However, another CNN staffer chalked it up to "throwing spaghetti at a wall," calling a hypothetical editorial board "useless at best, paralyzing at worst."
"I don’t even think it’s serious," the staffer told Fox News Digital. "I think it’s just a daily throw something at the wall to see if it’s enough."
One senior CNN correspondent insists "no one" at the network has confidence that it will maintain its independence even if an editorial board is installed, pointing to the chumminess between the Ellisons and President Donald Trump. David Ellison's billionaire father — Oracle founder Larry Ellison — is a close ally of Trump who is financially backing the deal.
CNN STAFFERS SEE PARAMOUNT MERGER AS 'INEVITABLE' DESPITE LEGAL BATTLE DELAYING ELLISON TAKEOVER
"As of now, it's impossible to have confidence when the White House and President Trump himself refer to the Ellisons as friends and says he's looking forward to a change in leadership," they said.
"Ellison seems to say whatever is necessary to get the merger across the finish line," the correspondent added, saying that the delay in the merger had brought a "sigh of relief" in the newsroom for the time being. "It felt at CNN as though everything was frozen — from hiring to talking about the future when the deal was imminent. Now, it feels slightly more normal."
Notably, CNN CEO Mark Thompson, whose future at the network remains unclear if the merger goes through, previously floated an independent board as a barrier between CNN and Paramount, similar to ones established for British news organizations, according to Semafor and CNN's Brian Stelter.
A spokesperson for CNN declined to comment.
There has been speculation that California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the antitrust lawsuit hoping to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, wants Ellison to sell CNN in order for him to bless the deal in the Golden State, something Bonta has denied. However, as the Journal noted, the idea of the editorial board came before Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general filed the lawsuit.
The trial for the suit is scheduled for next March, and Paramount is hoping to settle before then so the $111 billion merger goes through. Ellison has floated the company leaving California amid the merger fight.
PARAMOUNT-WARNER BROS DISCOVERY ANTITRUST TRIAL DATE SET; MERGER PUT ON PAUSE OVER LEGAL BATTLE
Paramount's bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery would be a historic deal merging two major Hollywood studios under one corporate umbrella as well as all of their television networks, including CBS and CNN. Critics of the deal believe such a merger would crush the entertainment industry and lead to mass layoffs. Some have also been vocal against the deal due to the Ellison-Trump relationship.
Liberal critics in particular also claim that, as a result of the deal, CNN would be given a MAGA-bent to its coverage, and it would be run by current CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who has been criticized by some media liberals. The Paramount CEO has previously assured that CNN would maintain editorial independence following the merger.
In a guest essay published in The New York Times, Ellison addressed the "speculation" about what would happen to CNN under his ownership.
"I have regularly voted for candidates of both parties; I hold some views that would be called conservative and others that would be called liberal, just like most Americans; and when it comes to our news operations, I do not aspire to lead these companies to bend their newsrooms to my views. I believe that news should be based on facts and truth," Ellison wrote.
"Great news organizations like CNN and CBS News are here to tell it straight down the middle," he added. "That requires newsrooms that reflect the whole world, not one side of it. And it requires independence."
ICE Boston arrests Brazilian illegal alien wanted for murder days before Gov Healy signed Protect Act
An illegal alien wanted for aggravated murder in Brazil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Massachusetts just two days before Democrat Gov. Maura Healey signed a law to block certain ICE operations in the state.
Maycon Souto Dos Reis, 54, was convicted of aggravated murder in Brazil on Sept. 14, 2024, and sentenced to 14 years and three months in prison when an arrest warrant was issued. The Brazilian national fled Brazil and crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in June 2024, when he was apprehended but subsequently released into the United States under then-President Joe Biden's open-border policies, according to ICE.
"This is yet another example of what the media often characterizes as a non-criminal, when in reality, many of these individuals are murderers, sexual predators, gang members and more: They simply do not have a criminal record in the United States," Acting ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston Field Office Director David Wesling wrote in a statement.
DEM GOVERNOR IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER TESTING LIMITS OF AUTHORITY WITH MAJOR MOVE AGAINST ICE
"We will continue to pursue these dangerous criminal aliens that sanctuary politicians fight to protect."
The timing of the Aug. 3 Boston-area arrest corresponded to Healey's Aug. 5 signing of the PROTECT Act, which keeps ICE out of courthouses, schools, childcare centers, hospitals and healthcare facilities, while also providing stronger protections for parents in case they are detained or deported, banning new 287(g) agreements and allowing civil rights claims to be made against government officials, including ICE agents.
"The PROTECT Act is the strongest law in the country to protect people from ICE, because no one should be afraid to send their child to school, seek medical care or fear reporting a crime or appearing in court," Healey wrote Aug. 5 in a statement announcing the signing of the new restrictions on ICE operations in her state.
"It makes us all less safe. So we are getting ICE out of our courthouses, schools and hospitals. This bill is a testament to the hard work and advocacy of so many people across our state. We’re going to keep working together to make Massachusetts and this country the place we all want it to be."
GOP SENATORS RALLY AROUND NEW DHS PROPOSAL TARGETING SANCTUARY CITIES: 'SHOULD PAY A PRICE'
Dos Reis initially came to ERO Boston’s attention following his May 29 arrest for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in Southborough, Massachusetts.
ICE officers arrested him Aug. 3 during a targeted operation at Westborough District Court in Westborough.
ICE officials said Dos Reis had been living in Massachusetts, which has been at the center of clashes between state and federal officials over immigration enforcement. The agency characterized the jurisdiction as one where local policies can complicate federal efforts to locate and arrest immigration offenders.
ICE LODGES DETAINER FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF TRYING TO DISARM VIRGINIA POLICE OFFICER
ICE did not provide additional details about the aggravated murder case in Brazil, including when the killing occurred or the circumstances surrounding Dos Reis’ conviction.
He remains in ICE custody pending the outcome of deportation proceedings, the agency said.
"DHS’s message is clear: If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, arrest you, and you will never return," ICE wrote in a release Monday, hailing President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin's actions to protect legal American citizens.
"Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States."
Texas dad faces murder charge after estranged wife found dead at suburban home: Police
A man in Texas was arrested after allegedly murdering his estranged wife while their kids were home, according to police.
Jake Bigoni, 37, was taken into custody Wednesday after officers performing a welfare check for his estranged wife, Eliana Bigoni, discovered her dead inside his Plano, Texas, apartment. He was initially booked on a felony abuse of corpse charge before authorities later added a murder charge, police said in a news release.
Authorities initiated the welfare check after one of Eliana's friends reported that she had not appeared for a scheduled breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and could not be reached, according to an arrest warrant obtained by FOX 4. The friend informed authorities that Jake and Eliana Bigoni were separated and that Eliana had been on her way to pick up their 2 and 5-year-old children.
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The two were in the process of a divorce when Bigoni was found dead.
Jake Bigoni's mother later called police, saying her son had phoned her and allegedly said, "I have something to tell you. She's dead. We got in a fight and she's dead."
Upon arriving at Jake Bigoni's apartment, officers allegedly observed what appeared to be a large blood stain on his shirt, which he said the was the result of cleaning. Eliana Bigoni's body would be found in the trunk of a white Hyundai in the apartment's garage, with officials adding she had major damage to her head and face.
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Police said the couple's children were in the apartment during the alleged murder and weren't harmed.
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According to the report, Jake Bigoni allegedly has a history of violent behavior.
Jake Bigoni is being held in jail with no bond.
GIANNO CALDWELL: Florida needs Byron Donalds to protect the DeSantis legacy
When COVID hit in March 2020, I was living in Los Angeles. What I saw there changed the course of my life.
It became clear almost immediately that local officials in California weren't following the science. They were following the politics. Every decision, every mandate, every shutdown got filtered through one lens: how do we use this crisis to fight back against Trump and Republicans? Californians paid for that calculation. Businesses shuttered. Kids lost years of school. Families lost everything they'd built. I watched it happen in real time.
Florida went a different way. Governor Ron DeSantis stood firm. While Dr. Anthony Fauci pushed school closures, vaccine mandates, and business lockdowns, DeSantis said no. He signed executive orders and legislation suspending every local COVID mandate on Florida's citizens and businesses, and put into state law the presumption that schools stay open for in-person instruction. The pressure on him was relentless, from the left and from parts of the right. He didn't fold.
THE REAL REASON AMERICANS ARE FLEEING BLUE STATES FOR FLORIDA AND TEXAS
That's what made my decision. In May 2020, two months into the LA shutdown, I packed up and moved to Miami.
I wasn't the only one. Ken Griffin moved Citadel, his multibillion-dollar firm, from Chicago to Miami. Major CEOs followed. Florida became the place serious people came when they were done waiting for their blue state to show any gravitas at all.
I didn't agree with every decision Governor DeSantis made. But his tenure speaks for itself. In 2020, registered Democrats still outnumbered Republicans in Florida. Today, Republicans hold a registration advantage of more than 1.5 million voters, and they've expanded their share in all 67 counties.
That didn't happen by accident. That happened because of leadership.
Now DeSantis is term-limited, which raises a question that matters enormously, and not just to Floridians. Who carries this forward?
I've known Congressman Byron Donalds for several years. I've watched him up close. He's the person Florida needs right now.
I say that as the founder of the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety, an organization I built after my innocent teenage brother Christian was murdered in Chicago on June 24, 2022.
Public safety isn't an abstraction to me. It's the reason I do this work. And it's the clearest place where Byron has distinguished himself.
While the defund the police movement swept the country, Byron didn't equivocate. Carlos Arguelles, president of the Hispanic Police Officers Association of Miami-Dade, put it plainly in endorsing him: "During COVID, when the 'defund the police' movement was gaining momentum, Congressman Donalds stood up for law enforcement and doubled down on putting more boots on the ground. He has never been afraid to stand his ground."
The Florida Police Chiefs Association endorsed him too, representing more than 1,300 law enforcement executives, along with a majority of Florida's sheriffs.
His Zero Tolerance public safety agenda would mandate full cooperation between state and local agencies and federal immigration authorities at ICE and ban sanctuary policies statewide without exception.
That last part is personal for me; Chicago has been a sanctuary city for over 40 years. Nearly 7,000 people have been murdered there in the last decade. I've spent four years asking Chicago's politicians to take that seriously. They haven't. Byron is promising Florida will never become that, and I believe him.
ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ILLINOIS TEACHER LINKED TO TREN DE ARAGUA MASS SHOOTING
He's also serious about the cost that hits Florida families hardest. Property insurance is the biggest affordability pressure in this state, and Byron says he believes he can bring rates down by as much as 20% by reforming Florida's property insurance regulatory framework.
Byron grew up in Brooklyn. He came to Florida for college, graduated from Florida State, and built a career in banking and finance in Southwest Florida. He worked his way from local conservative activism to the Florida State House to Congress, where he's represented Florida's 19th District since 2021.
President Trump's endorsement was unambiguous: "Byron Donalds would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida." House Speaker Mike Johnson called him "a principled conservative leader who Floridians can trust as their next governor."
But the endorsement that says the most came this week from an unlikely place. Stephen A. Smith, a lifelong Democrat, said on his SiriusXM show: "I ain't no Republican. But if anybody could make me one, it would be him. He's the real deal. Make no mistake about it. I've seen him battling with Democrats. He ain't backing up. He knows his stuff."
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When a lifelong Democrat says a Republican is the real deal, people pay attention. Congressman Donalds could bring in a new crop of voters like Stephen A. Smith who've traditionally voted for Democrats but are now concerned their party has gone extremely far left. Look at the rhetoric the Democratic Socialists of America are using. Abolish prisons and police. It's crazy talk that's running away traditional Democrats.
What I can tell you from knowing Byron personally is something no endorsement captures. He's a man of strong morals and genuine character. I've seen it for myself. When he speaks he means what he says. In a political environment full of people who say whatever the moment requires, that's rarer than it should be.
Florida is ground zero for conservative values in America. The next governor either protects what's been built here or lets it erode. Byron Donalds will protect it.
The primary is Tuesday, August 18. If you're a Florida voter, go vote.
Russian state economist fired after stark warning about Moscow’s economic future
A prominent Russian state economist was fired after publicly warning that Moscow is losing an economic "war of attrition" with the West and could eventually face a social crisis, as the European Union prepares a major expansion of sanctions targeting Russia’s military-industrial base.
The episode goes beyond an internal Kremlin personnel shake-up. For Washington and its European allies, the central question is whether years of economic pressure are beginning to constrain Moscow’s ability to sustain the war — or whether Russia can continue absorbing the costs while replenishing the resources needed to fight.
Andrei Klepach, chief economist at state development bank VEB.RF, was dismissed after remarks in which he said Russia was falling behind technologically and economically and suffering mounting costs from the war in Ukraine, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Aug. 17.
RUSSIA’S ‘AMAZON’ IN DEEP-STRIKE UKRAINE BLITZ, WIPING BILLIONS FROM PUTIN-LINKED CEO
VEB confirmed to Reuters that Klepach was no longer its chief economist but did not give a reason for his departure. Klepach, who had held the position since 2014 after spending a decade at Russia’s Economy Ministry, also confirmed his dismissal.
"We are falling behind. We are losing both the technological and economic competition in the world," Klepach said in a May speech to the Nikitsky Club, a forum of economists, academics and government officials. The remarks were delivered in May but did not draw attention in Russian media until last week.
"And we are losing it not only to China and the United States, in some ways we are losing it to Ukraine too," he said, attributing Ukraine’s resilience in part to continued financial backing from the West.
"We will not win the competition in this war of attrition," Klepach said. "We have the illusion that everything there [in Ukraine] will collapse. It has not collapsed and will not collapse. Our costs are mounting."
Klepach acknowledged that Russia had proved resilient to Western sanctions but warned that Ukrainian attacks on energy and logistics infrastructure were creating additional economic pressure. Reuters noted that Russia’s central bank said in July that economic growth could fall as low as zero this year, while repeated Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries and other facilities have caused supply disruptions and added to inflation risks.
BRINGING THE WAR TO PUTIN’S FRONT DOOR: IS UKRAINE’S ENERGY STRIKE STRATEGY WORKING?
"Economically we will not collapse, but our lag will continue to grow, with all the resulting consequences," Klepach said, predicting that Russia could face a social crisis "precisely when nobody is particularly expecting it."
A European intelligence source told Fox News Digital that Russia’s deeper economic problems should not be confused with immediate financial pressure on President Vladimir Putin. The source said higher oil prices had helped Moscow cover more of its budget deficit and could give the Kremlin additional time before economic constraints begin forcing difficult choices over the war. "It doesn’t solve the fundamental economic problems in Russia, but from a budgetary point of view, Putin is OK actually," the source said. "He’s not under pressure."
The source argued that this could delay expectations that deteriorating economic and budget conditions would eventually pressure Putin to end the war, potentially allowing Moscow to continue fighting "another spring" or "another season." The assessment adds a counterpoint to Klepach’s warning: Russia may be losing ground economically over the longer term while still retaining enough near-term revenue to sustain its war effort.
The warning comes as the European Union prepares to intensify its economic pressure on Moscow.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Germany’s Die Welt that she plans to propose what she called the "most far-reaching sanctions listings since the start of the war." Kallas said existing EU sanctions had deprived Russia’s war machine of more than $1.16 trillion, a figure presented by Kallas and reported by Reuters on Aug. 17.
EU diplomatic sources told Reuters that the bloc’s diplomatic service is expected to propose sanctions against approximately 1,600 additional Russian individuals and entities, with a particular focus on the country’s military-industrial complex.
'PURE HELL' IN MOSCOW AS UKRAINIAN DRONES STRIKE MAJOR REFINERY SUPPLYING CAPITAL'S FUEL MARKET
The measures are expected to include asset freezes along with travel and transaction bans. Officials plan to present the list to EU governments in early September and aim for adoption in October.
Inside Russia, authorities also moved Monday against one of the country’s remaining prominent liberal opposition figures.
Lev Shlosberg, deputy chairman of the Yabloko party, was sentenced to 11 years and one month in a penal colony, independent Russian outlet Mediazona reported. Shlosberg was accused of "discrediting Russia’s armed forces and spreading false information" about them.
Shlosberg, who described the war during his trial as a catastrophe for Russia, maintained his innocence and said the case against him was political. He also repeated his call for a ceasefire. The sentencing came a week after Russia’s Supreme Court barred Yabloko from participating in next month’s parliamentary election.
Meanwhile, attacks continued through the weekend and into Monday.
Russian strikes targeted port infrastructure in Ukraine’s Izmail district in the Odesa region overnight, according to Ukrainian authorities. A separate strike damaged a civilian Togo-flagged vessel and injured four people. Across the border, a Ukrainian drone attack killed a woman and struck an industrial facility in Russia’s southern Astrakhan region, the regional governor said.
Separately, ArcelorMittal said a Russian missile strike on its Kryvyi Rih steel plant over the weekend killed two employees and injured three employees and contractors, damaging major energy and blast-furnace facilities and partially halting production.
Reuters contributed to this report.
NFL cornerback, 28, retires days after signing with new team
NFL defensive back Sam Webb appeared to hang up his cleats after playing one preseason game with the New York Giants this season.
The Giants placed Webb on the Reserve/Retired List on Sunday, one day after New York lost to the Minnesota Vikings. The Giants signed Webb on Thursday, and he only had one practice with the team going into the preseason affair.
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Webb, 28, was a standout at Missouri Western State before he turned pro. He joined the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, playing in 17 games for them and recording 36 tackles with three pass break-ups. He had a stint with the Carolina Panthers in 2023 before re-joining the Raiders in 2024.
In his second stint in Las Vegas, Webb played in 11 games and had one tackle. He found himself with the Cleveland Browns in 2025. He played in seven games, had eight tackles and returned a fumble for a touchdown.
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Webb played 14 snaps in the Giants’ preseason game against the Vikings. But it appeared it was more than enough for him. He had joined the Giants five days after being released by the Denver Broncos.
The Giants are hoping their secondary can turn around after a middle-of-the-road season in 2025. New York was 16th in pass defense with about 214 passing yards allowed per game.
The team signed Greg Newsome II to help with that.
Cursed: All four of the Arizona Cardinals first four draft picks are injured, with two out for the season
The Arizona Cardinals are in rebuild mode (again), with a new head coach and a quiver of promising draft picks, but their roster reconstruction has gone sideways mere weeks into the start of training camp because their top four rookies are all injured.
Arizona's first round pick is injured.
The second round pick is out for the season.
The third round pick is injured.
The fourth round pick is out for the season.
The Cardinals had seven selections in the April NFL draft. A majority are injured.
The Cursedinals.
The latest of the bad news is that running back Jeremiyah Love, the third player taken in the first round of the draft, is out indefinitely with an ankle injury. And, this isn't just a tweak.
Love is likely to miss the remainder of the preseason and his availability for the start of the season is in question.
That news comes hours after head coach Mike LaFleur announced that guard Chase Bisontis, the team's second round pick and the 34th player taken in the draft, is going to miss the entire season.
LaFleur told reporters over the weekend that Bisontis would be placed on the Injured Reserve list, which by NFL rules means he's automatically out for the entire season when the designation is applied in the preseason.
Bisontis suffered an MCL injury in his left knee in last Thursday's preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He will require surgery.
"He will be out for a good amount of time, if not the whole year," LaFleur said. "Sucks for him. Always think about the player first. Sucks for the Cardinals too. He's a good player, but more importantly, you hate it for the player."
The sucking is not stopping for the Cardinals.
Quarterback Carson Beck, the team's third-round pick, had a good preseason debut in the Hall of Fame game two weeks ago. He completed 15 of 19 passes with a touchdown pass, suggesting he should be included in the team's competition for the starting quarterback job.
But, nope.
Beck injured his ribs in the game and has not practiced since. He missed the preseason game against the Raiders as well.
LaFleur has been coy about giving the exact status of the injury — whether there was a fracture or there is ligament or other soft tissue damage. He's only offered that Beck has experienced "soreness."
But that soreness has left Beck's status uncertain for practice this week and Saturday's preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys.
49ERS QUARTERBACK HOSPITALIZED AFTER STRUGGLING TO BREATHE IN FIRST GAME IN NEARLY 2 YEARS
Then there is fourth-round pick Kaleb Proctor, who was placed on preseason IR the first day the club reported for training camp on July 22.
Proctor injured a knee during an Organized Team Activity session in June. He reportedly tore his meniscus and has required surgery.
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So Proctor is also out for the year.
The only bit of encouraging news out of any of this is that Love and Beck are expected to return at some point.
Love suffered a "mild high ankle sprain," per Dr. David Chao, OutKick's medical expert and the founder of Sports Injury Central.
Chao said "the hope" is Love can be ready for Week 1 of the regular season, but that is to be determined. The problem with ankle sprains is that coming back too early often leads to re-aggravating the weakened ankle, making the situation worse.
This pandemic of injuries to the rookie class is not normal. The Cardinals are the only NFL team that are managing injuries to more than half their draft picks.
It's almost as if they're cursed.
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Ilhan Omar staffer shredded for downplaying healthcare CEO’s killing after Luigi Mangione guilty plea
The operations director for a controversial leftist congresswoman downplayed the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson after Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to related charges last week.
"You’ll never convince me that Luigi is a villain while everyone in the Epstein files is roaming free," Briana Rose Lee said Friday on X after Mangione pleaded guilty to interstate stalking resulting in death and cyberstalking/use of interstate facilities resulting in death.
Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is currently seeking re-election for her fifth term in Congress. Lee's X bio says she does "operations" for the progressive congresswoman. Her LinkedIn profile confirms she has been working for Omar since January 2024, and that she is the former chairwoman of the Minneapolis Democratic-Farm-Labor (DFL) party.
"On the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan," Mangione told the court during last week's proceedings. "I knew what I was doing."
Thompson, a husband, father of two and the top executive at UnitedHealthcare, was a Minnesota resident who lived in the suburbs of Minneapolis — just outside of Omar's district. He was in New York City for business at the time of his death.
Lee faced some backlash for her post.
"You know you have sold your soul for your political beliefs when you are supporting an assassin who murdered a Minnesota father in cold blood," one X user said in a reply to the post. "You and many others need to seek help."
"This comment perfectly highlights the mental illness plaguing the Democratic Party. Completely ignorant and psychotic," said another.
"Luigi changed nothing about our healthcare system. And he killed an innocent man," wrote a third.
Omar's office and campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on her staffer downplaying the killing of a Minnesotan.
Other leftists joined Lee in dismissing Mangione's actions, including one well-known podcaster who served as the national press secretary for independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during his 2020 presidential campaign.
"Talking about Luigi as a 'killer' without mentioning the tens of thousands of deaths Brian Thompson was responsible for is manufacturing consent for corporate genocide,'" Briahna Joy Gray wrote on X. "The problem with cops is their selective enforcement of crime. It’s about protecting monied interests. Not you."
Gray's post drew the ire of at least one elected Democrat.
"Luigi Mangione is a cold-blooded assassin who belongs in prison for the rest of his life," said Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., from his personal X account. "Any civilization that lionizes a cold-blooded murderer has forfeited the right to call itself civilized."
In response, Gray referred to Torres as a "baby killing Zionist coward."