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Video shows bomb rock Damascus hotel where French President Macron is staying during Syrian state visit
A pair of explosions rocked the Syrian capital of Damascus near the downtown Four Seasons hotel, where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying during a state visit, Syrian state media reported Tuesday.
Eighteen people, including four police officers, were injured by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on Tuesday, Syria's interior ministry reported through state outlet SANA.
According to the ministry, both bombs exploded after security forces had discovered them, "while preparations for the disposal operation were underway."
BRIEF ALCOHOL BAN IN DAMASCUS SPARKS CONCERNS ABOUT PRESIDENT AL-SHARAA'S VISION FOR SYRIA
The bombs were placed inside a car and a garbage can near the hotel where Macron was staying during his visit, the first Syrian state visit by the leader of a Western country since Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa took over for the now-deposed former President Bashar al-Assad in 2025.
A spokesman for Élysée Palace said Macron was not in his hotel during the explosions and didn't even hear them. He continued his visit with al-Sharaa, according to both Élysée Palace and SANA.
While not commenting on the explosions directly, Macron posted a statement on X shortly after the incident.
ISRAEL FORTIFIES BORDER WITH JORDAN AS IRAN SEEKS NEW TERROR PATH
"Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria. This morning I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage, and determination. My visit continues," he wrote.
Syria's Ministry of the Interior confirmed the explosions but stressed that they were outside the security perimeter designated for Macron.
"We confirm that the explosion site is outside the security perimeter designated for the French president’s residence. It posed no direct threat to the residence or the official visit program, which is proceeding as planned," the ministry announced through SANA.
'PARCEL BOMB' EXPLODES IN MONACO RESIDENTIAL AREA, LEAVING 2 CRITICALLY INJURED: REPORTS
Macron is the first Western leader to meet with al-Sharaa in Damascus since he became the country's president in 2025. Some have criticized Western leaders, including President Donald Trump, who hosted al-Sharaa in the White House in November, for normalizing relations with al-Sharaa given his past as a fighter for the al Qaeda terrorist group.
Tuesday's explosions in Damascus were also the second and third major blasts in Damascus in less than a week.
On Monday, France's government condemned what it called a "terrorist attack" after an explosive device killed at least nine people in a Damascus cafe on July 2.
Syrian authorities are still investigating the attack and have not publicly ascribed it to any group or individual, according to The Washington Post.
Fox News Digital contacted the Syrian Foreign Ministry and Élysée Palace for confirmation and further details.
Stephen A. Smith saw three white Lakers and exposed a glaring liberal double standard
Sometimes I like what television personality, podcast host and sports analyst Stephen A. Smith has to say. Other times, I just shake my head and ask, "What?" This is one of those times.
The man recently looked at the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster in the post-LeBron James era and saw that its top three players are White. He decided that their skin color was newsworthy. "This ain't golf," he said. "This ain't baseball. It ain't even soccer." He spoke as if basketball has some sort of pigmentation requirement for getting on the court. He acted as if the gatekeepers messed up by letting three White dudes onto the court.
Let’s call this what it is: racism. I’m not being anything but factual. This man looked at three other men and decided the most important thing about them was their skin color. This man also took it upon himself to decide that basketball belongs to Black people. If this isn’t racism, then what is it?
STEPHEN A SMITH SHOWS HIS PRIVILEGE BY MOCKING LAKERS' ROSTER FOR HAVING TOO MANY 'WHITE DUDES'
All of this is absurd. Race is absurd. Under segregation, White men kept Black people out of all the top leagues because of the color of their skin. Now Stephen A. Smith wants to step into those shoes?
Somewhere along the way, we decided there are two sets of rules. Point out that a team has a lot of great Black players, and it's seen as something to be proud of, something to be celebrated as progress. But if you point out that a team has a lot of great White players, suddenly it’s suspicious. It’s something that needs explaining.
The best players in the NBA didn't get there because of their race. They got there because they outworked everybody else on the planet who wanted the same thing. Michael Jordan didn't wake up every morning and work on his blackness. His blackness didn’t make him the greatest player to ever walk this earth. It was his talent, his skill, his perseverance, his killer instinct. He trained his jump shot. He trained his footwork. He trained his mind to want it more than the guy across from him.
Same with Larry Bird. He didn't make the Hall of Fame because he was White. His White skin didn’t give him privilege. It didn’t add air to his jump or guide the ball into the basket. See how absurd this notion of race is? He made it because he could see angles on a basketball court that other men couldn't. Talent doesn't check a box. It shows up, or it doesn't.
When Stephen A. Smith frames three great players as some kind of anomaly because of their skin color, he's not being bold or honest. He’s showcasing the worst in us. Tribalism. Racism. Division. Entitlement. Yeah, I said it. Smith is teaching us that we should be entitled because we are Black. We are entitled to basketball because we are Black. And this is coming out of the mouth of a man whom I admire. Smith has built a media empire and is banking millions a year. People love him. And yet he betrays all that hard work by teaching our children that Black people are entitled to the NBA court because they are, well, Black. What a horrible message to send to our kids.
And here’s the hypocrisy in all of this. If the roles were reversed and, say, Dick Vitale complained that the Golden State Warriors were too White, who would be among the most outraged? Stephen A. Smith. He’s playing both sides, and that is not right. You cannot condemn racism against your own group while excusing it against another. You touch racism, and you lose all moral authority.
The only answer is to treat each player as an individual. Those three Lakers who happen to be White are among the best players in the league and absolute ballers. The Lakers hired them because they want to win. They’d hire purple dudes as long as they could win.
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I've spent my life around people from every background you can imagine, and I've never once seen greatness ask permission from someone's skin color. I've seen it ask for discipline. I've seen it ask for sacrifice. I've seen it ask a man to get up before the sun for 10 years straight while nobody was watching and nobody was clapping. That's the price. Race is irrelevant.
We are better than this. Our children deserve better than this. And basketball — a game built by men and women of every background who simply wanted to be the best at what they loved — deserves better than being reduced to a scoreboard for somebody's grievance.
Talent is colorblind. It's time our commentary caught up.
Sanders remains quiet as pressure grows for Platner to quit amid rape claim
A bombshell rape allegation has thrown Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner's campaign into turmoil, but some of his most progressive supporters in Congress are standing by him.
At least three Democratic lawmakers — Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. — have yet to withdraw their support or call on Platner to end his campaign after Maine resident Jenny Racicot, 41, accused him of rape in interviews with Politico and CNN.
Asked by Fox News Digital about Racicot's allegation that Platner in 2021 barged into her home while intoxicated and forced her to have unprotected sex, none of the lawmakers responded by publication time.
The muted response marks the latest sign that some progressives are sticking with Platner despite mounting scandals threatening the viability of his Senate bid.
DEMOCRATS BREAK WITH SCANDAL-PLAGUED GRAHAM PLATNER, WARN OF 'CIVIL WAR' IN PARTY
Some Platner allies have viewed his rise as part of a broader fight over the Democratic Party's direction, with the Senate hopeful embodying a more populist, far-left vision.
Maine Democrats rejected Platner's primary rival, Gov. Janet Mills, D-Maine, who was aligned with the party's establishment, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Mills suspended her campaign weeks before the June primary amid poor polling and fundraising struggles.
Other leading leftists, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., quickly rescinded their endorsements of Platner and called on him to exit the race. Similarly, Schumer and Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, which had only endorsed Platner after his June primary victory, demanded the immediate suspension of his campaign.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., who previously called a physical abuse allegation by former Platner girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield "a lot of nothing" in an interview with NOTUS, withdrew his support for Platner on Tuesday following Racicot’s rape accusation.
His statement comes as Democrats face mounting scrutiny over their responses to the accusations against Platner, after years of taking a hard line on sexual misconduct allegations.
"A lot of people owe apologies to Lyndsey Fifield — most notably Sheldon Whitehouse, who dismissed her allegations on the grounds that she worked for ‘right-wing political operations,’" journalist Josh Barro wrote on social media.
Sanders, a leader of the party’s leftist base who campaigned with Platner several times, was notably silent after Racicot’s rape allegation. He continued to support the Senate hopeful after Fifield’s allegations first emerged in early June and similarly during reports that Platner sent sexually explicit text messages to at least half a dozen women while married.
"We got a housing crisis. People can’t afford healthcare, they can’t afford groceries, they can’t afford to fill up their gas tanks. And I think it’s important for us to focus on the issues facing working families a little bit more than Graham Platner’s marriage," Sanders told reporters in June in remarks obtained by NBC.
Murphy, too, publicly defended Platner after news broke about Platner’s infidelity to his wife, Amy Gertner, who he married in 2023. He continued to embrace the Maine Democrat’s Senate bid after Fifield and other women accused Platner of abuse.
SANDERS CAUGHT ON CAMERA SNAPPING AT REPORTER OVER PLATNER’S POSTS: ‘GET A BETTER JOB’
And amid the piling up of controversies, Murphy suggested that Platner still had more character than incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
"Graham Platner is somebody who served our country, he’s served his community; he’s also made mistakes, and he’s admitted that," Murphy said during an interview with CBS News in May. "Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country."
"And this race is going to be a contrast between somebody who has put his life on the line for this country, against somebody who is literally empowering the moral hollowing-out of our nation from the White House," he went on.
Meanwhile, Van Hollen, a progressive senator with leadership ambitions, went to the mat to defend Platner amid scrutiny over his Nazi-linked tattoo and controversial online posts in which he declared himself a communist, disparaged law enforcement and Black people and White rural Americans, and mocked a teenage girl's suicide.
"He’s been very clear that he went into combat on behalf of the United States, he went through a really rough period, PTSD-type period," Van Hollen told Punchbowl News in April.
"He himself said there are lots of things he's done and said that he completely regrets, and I do believe people should have second chances and that people can learn from their mistakes, and I think he's been doing that," he said.
Platner's paper tiger progressive coalition crumbles after bombshell rape allegation
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner campaigned on building a growing progressive coalition, but some of the key candidates running across the country have now turned their back on him.
Platner’s campaign against Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was rocked on Monday after Politico’s report that the aspiring lawmaker allegedly raped an ex-girlfriend. Within hours of the allegation circulating, several high-profile candidates disavowed him and demanded he exit the race.
"The credible allegations against Graham Platner cannot be ignored — he should withdraw from the race immediately," Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico said in a statement.
TOP PLATNER ALLY TURNS ON HIM AFTER BOMBSHELL RAPE ALLEGATION ROCKS CAMPAIGN: 'RED LINE'
Talarico and other Democratic Senate candidates pitching themselves as progressives, including Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, former Rep. Mary Peltola in Alaska, former Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, all called on Platner to exit the race.
"Credible allegations of sexual assault cannot be ignored," El-Sayed said. "Voters in Maine deserve a choice for U.S. Senate that doesn’t force them to make a moral compromise between sexual violence or corporate servitude."
But it’s the first time the five Senate hopefuls have publicly admonished Platner after several scandals have dogged his campaign.
DEMOCRATS EXTEND PLATNER 'GRACE' DESPITE ABUSE ALLEGATIONS AFTER KAVANAUGH RECKONING
Fox News Digital did not immediately hear back from each campaign on why each candidate opted to break with Platner now rather than after previous allegations, including the June report from The New York Times that the Maine candidate exhibited "unsettling" behavior with women that often revolved around alcohol and alleged intimidation.
Meanwhile, Platner has yet to withdraw from contention in a contest that Democrats viewed as the key to winning back the Senate.
In a video statement released moments after Politico’s report, Platner dismissed the rape allegation but acknowledged the reality it could have on his campaign.
EXCLUSIVE: COLLINS PITS RECORD BUILT IN MAINE POTATO FIELDS AGAINST PLATNER'S 'ANGRY RHETORIC'
"Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to and the goal of defeating Susan Collins," he said.
The clock is ticking for Democrats to figure out their next move — the deadline in Maine for a candidate to drop out is July 13. If Platner does withdraw by then, the Maine Democratic Party, which also disavowed his campaign, has until July 27 to nominate a replacement.
And Collins, the political foe that Platner and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., are desperately trying to beat, has stayed at arm's length from the mess across the political spectrum.
"These allegations are appalling," Collins said in a statement. "Nevertheless, it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate."
Graham Platner's chances of dropping out skyrocket to 94% after party revolt: Kalshi
Traders on prediction market Kalshi are piling into wagers that Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner will drop out of the race by next week.
The contract on whether Platner will drop out before July 14 soared to 94 cents Tuesday morning from the previous single digits, implying traders now assign a roughly 94% probability to his impending exit. The trading volume, or the total dollar amount wagered on this market, sits just north of $4.4 million.
While prediction markets don't determine political outcomes, the surge in betting reflects a growing belief among traders that Platner's campaign is in serious jeopardy following the latest allegations. Platner is seeking to unseat five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races.
THE GROWING LIST OF CONTROVERSIES THREATENING DEMOCRAT GRAHAM PLATNER'S MAINE SENATE BID
The market's abrupt swing follows Democrats' rapid break with Platner after a rape allegation was leveled against him on Monday, which immediately triggered calls from across the party for him to suspend his campaign.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., one of Platner's highest-profile backers, rescinded her endorsement after previously saying that he is "my kind of man."
"With so much at stake, the best path forward is for Graham Platner to step aside as the Democratic nominee and address these serious allegations outside this Senate race," the progressive senator wrote in a statement.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., also withdrew his backing and called on Platner to exit the race.
Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., likewise pulled their support Monday, though Gallego stopped short of urging Platner to suspend his campaign.
PLATNER CONTROVERSIES FUEL SPECULATION ABOUT LITTLE-KNOWN MAINE BALLOT REPLACEMENT PROVISION
The mounting pressure for an end to his Senate bid began after Maine resident Jenny Racicot accused Platner of raping her nearly five years ago, telling Politico and CNN that he entered her home uninvited while intoxicated and forced himself on her despite her repeated attempts to stop him.
Platner denied the allegation, saying in a statement he was "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward" for his campaign.
The Marine Corps veteran and oyster farmer emerged this year as one of the Democratic Party's fastest-rising political figures, drawing national attention for his populist message and outsider image.
As his profile has grown, so has scrutiny of his past conduct.
In recent months, his campaign has been engulfed by a series of controversies, including the resurfacing of sexually explicit messages, offensive social media posts, a tattoo linked to Nazi symbolism and campaign staff turmoil.
Despite all this, his odds of remaining in the race after smooth sailing to primary election victory last month remained high. But the most recent rape allegation has reversed that, at least on Kalshi.
Wild bison headbutting video is a must-watch crazy nature moment now going viral online
Another awesome nature video is going viral.
The internet is a wild place full of crazy content, and nature content is right near the top of the list of the best stuff.
Whether it's majestic and beautiful or downright terrifying, it's almost always going to make people stop and watch.
WOMAN TESTS FATE BY GETTING TOO CLOSE TO A MASSIVE BISON, FACEPLANTS WHILE RUNNING AWAY
That now includes an incredible video of some massive bison sparring.
The popular Instagram page @goodbullguided, which appears to operate out of Colorado, recently posted a video of two bison smashing heads.
When I say these bison are big, trust me when I say that I'm not overselling it.
TWO HIKERS CAPTURE TERRIFYING VIDEO OF CHARGING GRIZZLY BEARS AT GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
These two are absolute beasts.
Give the footage a watch below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
This video should serve as a cautionary warning to all the idiotic tourists who think it's cute to get way too close to these animals.
Bison aren't Disney characters. They will send you soaring in the air if they feel threatened. There's not a human on the planet who can win that fight.
Seriously, look at the impact power they have against animals their own size. Now, imagine some 165-pound terrorist getting hit with that.
It'd be over before it even started.
What do you think of the footage? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Nigel Farage resigning from UK Parliament
Reform UK leader and British Member of Parliament (MP) Nigel Farage announced he was resigning from Parliament on Tuesday.
Farage claimed he was resigning to force a by-election in his Clacton district and claimed he would run in it.
"Today I will resign as a Member of Parliament for Clacton-on-Sea, thereby forcing a by-election, which will happen, I hope in short order," he said in a press conference broadcast from the Reform UK YouTube channel.
"This will be a people vs. the establishment by-election. It's a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire establishment, to frankly tell them where to go, and that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this by-election," he said.
Farage's resignation followed a series of scandals surrounding gifts he received from wealthy donors while out of office.
Farage denied any wrongdoing, stating: "Let me be absolutely clear. I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken the law in any way at all. I have not misused public money."
An investigation into Farage's conduct by Parliament's Commissioner for Standards is ongoing.
In May 2024, weeks before the July election that would return him to Parliament, Farage received a $5 million gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Farage and his allies have denied that the gift was improper at all, with Farage calling it "unconditional" and claiming it did not violate Standards rules as it came only during his time as a private citizen between his 2021 exit from Parliament and his 2024 return to the body.
He also claimed that the security funding was necessary due to an elevated intensity in the nature and frequency of threats to his life.
REFORM UK PROPOSES DEPORTING 600,000 ASYLUM SEEKERS IN SWEEPING NEW IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN
"I am going to need security for the rest of my life and I cannot even tell you how grateful I am to Christopher Harborne, because now I will never ever need to worry about whether I've got the resource."
Citing years of abuse, Farage said "over the last years it's gotten worse," citing an attack on his home and "literally, daily online calls for me to be murdered."
Farage said he's repeatedly asked the Home Secretary for help but was ignored, leading him to incur substantial bills on security.
He also revealed that, days after Charlie Kirk was murdered, Farage's own security funding was reduced by 70%.
By abdicating his seat, Farage opens up a by-election, a Parliamentary snap-election resulting in a direct referendum for the seat.
By-elections for vacated MP seats typically happen within three to four weeks of Parliament issuing a writ of certification, likely placing the snap-election for some time in early August.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Team USA looked like a bunch of woke bartenders against Belgium, Swift-Kelce napkin for sale & Dart boat party
Where do I even start with this Tuesday edition of Screencaps after one of the most embarrassing sports performances in U.S. history last night in Seattle? What the hell was that? Herb Brooks must've been rolling over in his grave watching Team USA look like they were being terrorized by Belgians.
BELGIANS! We literally stood there and got our a--es handed to us by a country with a population of 12 million. Belgium has the same population as OHIO! And we stood there looking like a bunch of chumps. On national TV. On apps around the world. I'm not even some knowledgeable soccer dork, but my eyes know what they were witnessing. That was pathetic.
It was so bad that a whopping 78% of those surveyed think the Browns, yes, THE BROWNS, will win a Super Bowl before Team USA wins a World Cup in the next 50 years. To be fair, I should've been more dramatic and made this poll for the next 100 years.
Based on the talents we're running out there, like 38-year-old Tim Ream, those who participated in the poll, make a good point by choosing the Browns. This country has a guy with a man bun in the goal box who is perfectly fine with getting his a-- lit up by some 125-pound Belgian dork.
If Timmy had a problem with it, he wouldn't have been caught in this position. Ream is allegedly 6'1, 180 pounds, and he got absolutely destroyed by a guy who needed to eat a cheeseburger.
If there's one positive to come out of this mess, it's that there are so many travel soccer jokes flying around. What we clearly need are more parents in giant SUVs burning vacation days to travel from Cleveland to Nashville to play club league games and then turning around and heading home, but not before playing a Sunday 4 p.m. match against a team in Cincinnati before heading back up I-71 and getting home at 10 p.m.
Why aren't there more travel soccer tournaments in Argentina like 12U baseball kids going to Cooperstown? If that's too far, why don't we send out kids to Mexico to play in travel tournaments? Or maybe even Colombia?
I'm convinced our kids need to suffer to get better at soccer. I want them swatting flies off their faces in some remote Argentinian village that DOES NOT HAVE A MICROBREWERY, so the travel soccer parents can get loaded after the matches and brag about it on Facebook/Instagram. In fact, I want American youths shipped off to Argentinian soccer camps for 10 weeks each summer. I want them to come back with back alley tats. I want them getting off the plane in Cleveland with finger tats and fake gold chains around their neck while wearing shredded stonewashed jeans.
Maybe we end up with a few late-teen soccer players with Argentinian baby mamas. That's just how this will have to go.
ESPN has reported that Argentina is known to use squalid living conditions to toughen up its youth.
Look, I'm all for it. Maybe these kids see a couple of dead bodies along the way. If WE want to win a World Cup before the Browns win a Super Bowl, it's going to take a generation of boys who have seen a few things to get the job done.
– Patrick D. writes: Mark Kelly is a weirdo, but in all honesty, why should anyone be excited to follow the pathetic U.S. men’s team? They were gifted the knockout round through favorable scheduling, aren’t one of the 16 best teams in the world, and made elementary mistakes in their biggest game in decades. They are an embarrassment.
READ: MARK KELLY PROUDLY BACKS TEAM MEXICO IN WORLD CUP AFTER BARELY MENTIONING U.S. MEN'S TEAM
If that was USA basketball, you all would be killing them. If that was an NFL team, you’d be killing them. If that was LeBron, you’d be killing him.
Instead, you’re giving them a pass because they’re a punch of preppy, Chad white guys or black guys that look like Corbin Bleu. You have to be an idiot to think there will ever be a day that US soccer matters as long as we’re sending 4th or 5th tier athletes to play…
Anyway, the moral of the story is, Mark Kelly looks dumb in that Mexico attire, but he’s not dumb for not supporting a team full of straight losers either …
– Lib Anthony couldn't wait to send this email: Everything Trump touches turns to… (you know it. I don’t even have to say it.)
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Beer Guy Neil in Cleveland emails:
By the way, guys, I'm going to start posting some of your longer emails with multiple photos on Facebook because it's so much easier to embed this stuff into Screencaps than post photos that have to be captioned and sized before the photos can be posted here.
– Beer Guy Thomas V. in NC spotted this tragic news:
Kinsey: I'll admit that I only purchased two cases of the lager since it was introduced. It was really good, but I just don't find myself buying many cases of beer these days. This is also a good reminder that beer consumption continues to decline as Gen Z and younger Millennials prefer to eat a gummie and sit around their apartments playing video games.
– Brian M. in CA emails: I hope you've recovered from what sounds like an awesome golf trip!
As someone who appreciates the friendly competition and camaraderie of a guys golf trip, I thought you might be interested in a quick history of how one avid golfer and family man led to the creation of 3 groups that collectively just completed 100 destination golf trips!
In 1969 my friend's dad started a golf trip that he planned, organized, and led for 50 years before calling it a career in 2019. Over 120 guys attended at least one of his trips but Ted B. was at the helm for all of them, including one to Pebble Beach in the early 70's where they played for only $30. Ted's son started his own group in 1991 and we just completed our 35th (28 for me) going to destinations like Pine Needles, Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley, and Gamble Sands among many others. And the third edition was another group started by Ted's grandsons and they just hit their 15th year milestone.
At its core each group is brought together by the love of the game of golf and kept together by the friendships these trips build.
As you can imagine, the older two trips have said final goodbyes to several members and this year was particularly tough as Ted B. was laid to rest. But this humble man left a lasting legacy born from a simple idea to get the guys together for friendly competition and an abundance of laughs along the way!
Keep up the great work Joe.
Kinsey: There should be a special wing in the golf hall of fame for those who organize golf trips. What a thankless job. The thought of organizing a bunch of golf degenerates takes a special person who is willing to sacrifice part of his/her life for the enjoyment of others. Ted sounds like a first-ballot guy.
– Jim in East Peoria, IL checks in: Great job as always! Loved hearing about your golf trip - sounds like a blast.
HUGE kudos to you for proper grammar!!! As in "....AN historic....". Thank you! Been wondering lately if someone changed the rules and I hadn't kept up!
So "sad" (HA!!) to see Rapinhoe and the Euro elite snobs getting their panties twisted over FIFA's red card solution. For all those idiots calling this unprecedented, I think I read somewhere that some other real good player - Renaldo (sp?) maybe - got a 3 game suspension taken away a few years ago. Something about a one year probation, and if he didn't get any more red cards this one goes away, or something like that. But, I'm in no way a soccer fan, so might want to fact check that one a bit.
Lastly, books on the beach - I've got to admit I'm a bit of a reader, and do indeed actually read books on the beach, at the pool, on the balcony, etc. Mrs. Z and I hit a decent beach (Key West, Marco Island, Aruba, wherever) at least once or twice a year, and I usually take at least 5 with me for the week. Granted, at least one for the plane, and I usually only get all the way through 4, as it's always annoying if I run out of books to read before the trip is over, but I do read. And yes, I do a ton of other stuff too, not just sit and read all day. If I did actually do that I'd need around 10 or 12 books. What authors you may ask? Patterson, Grisham, Silva, Evanovich, Baldacci, etc.
Good luck with the baseball tournament!
Kinsey: I should clarify, there's an age at which I believe people are faking reading at the beach. If you have an active Instagram account, I feel like 80-90% of active IG users who claim to read books at the beach are complete liars.
– Brandon C. in Pinckney, MI was on the move:
#####################
That is it this morning. The sun is shining. It's summer, the football season is weeks away and now with soccer over, I turn back to the baseball season. Screencaps Jr.'s team is the No. 15 seed in this week's tournament. Do you believe in miracles?
Let's go get after it.
Trump puts brakes on OpenAI’s newest AI model
OpenAI's newest AI model is getting a gatekeeper before most people can try it: the U.S. government.
The company says GPT-5.6 Sol, its newest flagship model, will start with a limited preview for a small group of trusted partners. OpenAI said it previewed the model's capabilities with the U.S. government ahead of launch and, at the government's request, is starting with a limited group of trusted partners whose participation has been shared with the government before a broader rollout. The model will reportedly be accessible only to customers approved by the Trump administration during this initial preview period.
MOST PROMINENT AI CHATBOTS HAVE LIBERAL BIAS, NEW STUDY FINDS
That to me is a big shift. Usually, you hear about a new AI model and wonder when you can use it. Now, the bigger question may be who gets access first and how those decisions are made.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
GPT-5.6 Sol is part of OpenAI's new GPT-5.6 lineup, which also includes Terra and Luna. OpenAI describes Sol as its strongest model yet, with improvements in coding, biology and cybersecurity tasks. In its public announcement, OpenAI said GPT-5.6 models will initially be available through the API and Codex to a select group of trusted partners and organizations, with broader availability planned for ChatGPT, Codex and the API soon. As of early July, OpenAI says GPT-5.6 isn’t available in ChatGPT during the preview, and the company has not announced a general-availability date.
The cybersecurity part is what has Washington paying close attention. OpenAI says Sol is better at helping people find and fix software vulnerabilities than reliably carrying out full cyberattacks. The company also says Sol does not cross its internal "Cyber Critical" threshold, although it admits benchmark tests cannot predict every possible use when the model is combined with other tools.
That is the concern. The same AI that can help a security team fix a software flaw could also give scammers and hackers a head start if the guardrails fail.
The Trump administration has been building a new AI cybersecurity framework. A June executive order says advanced AI can strengthen the country, but it also creates national security concerns that require coordination across federal agencies and private companies.
The White House fact sheet says the order creates a voluntary framework for covered frontier models. It also says the government may get secure early access for trusted partners, while stating the order does not authorize mandatory licensing, pre-clearance or permits for releasing AI models.
That distinction is important. The administration says this is about security. Critics worry it could turn into quiet government control over who gets the newest AI tools first.
OpenAI isn’t the only AI company that has faced government pressure over powerful AI models. On June 12, Anthropic said the U.S. government directed it to suspend access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models by foreign nationals. Anthropic said the order forced it to disable the models more broadly so it could comply.
CyberGuy previously covered Anthropic's Mythos AI and why its ability to find software vulnerabilities raised big cybersecurity questions. That helps explain why these models became part of the larger debate over AI, cyber risk and who gets access first.
Since then, the standoff has changed. The U.S. Commerce Department later lifted export controls on Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models. Anthropic said it would restore access, and Fable 5 was reportedly back online as of July 1. Reports say Anthropic agreed to strengthen safeguards, work with the U.S. government on model-release protocols and report malicious activity tied to the models. Reuters also reported that the restrictions were removed after talks between Anthropic and U.S. officials.
That makes the Anthropic episode a useful comparison for OpenAI's limited rollout. In both cases, the issue is no longer only about what an AI model can do. It is also about how quickly powerful AI tools should be released, who should get early access and what role the government should play.
Here is the bigger question: how should powerful AI tools be released when they can help protect hospitals, banks and businesses, but could also help the wrong person find security holes faster?
Security teams want better tools because they are already stretched thin. Hospitals and healthcare systems, banks, local utilities and critical systems, plus businesses all run on software that can have hidden holes. A stronger AI model could help find those weak spots before criminals exploit them.
However, the access question is complicated. Who gets early access? Who gets told to wait? What happens if a small security company needs the same AI tool as a major government contractor?
For now, the debate comes down to balancing security, access and accountability as these AI tools move closer to the services you rely on every day.
AI tools are getting more capable, and that means scammers will keep using the buzz around them to trick you. Here are the steps to take now.
Whenever a major AI product gets attention, impostors follow. Be careful with emails, texts or ads that promise early access to GPT-5.6 Sol, Mythos 5 or any restricted AI model. Go directly to the official company site instead of clicking a link.
Strong antivirus software can help protect you from malicious links, phishing sites and downloads that scammers may disguise as AI tools or beta invitations. The best way to protect yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
Use strong, unique passwords for your important accounts. A password manager can help you create and store complex passwords, so you are not reusing the same login across multiple sites.
Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever it is available. Authentication apps or security keys are stronger than text message codes because they are harder for scammers to intercept.
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Keep your phone, computer, browser and apps updated. Many cyberattacks target known software flaws that already have patches, so updates are one of the easiest ways to close security gaps.
Think twice before pasting sensitive information into any AI tool. Avoid uploading Social Security numbers, financial records, medical documents or private company files unless you know exactly how the service handles your data.
Scammers can make AI-themed attacks more convincing when they can find your home address, phone number, relatives or workplace online. A data removal service can help reduce how much of your personal information appears on data broker and people-search sites. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
Scammers love urgency. If an offer claims you need to act fast to get access to a new AI model, treat that as a warning sign. Search for the announcement yourself and verify it from the company's official website.
Your phone holds your email, passwords, photos, banking apps and personal data. In this free CyberGuy Live replay, Kurt the CyberGuy walks you step by step through simple phone security fixes you can do at your own pace. You’ll learn how to improve your privacy settings, spot the latest phone scams, use trusted security tools and walk away with a simple checklist to stay protected. Watch the replay and get our checklist here: CyberGuyLive.com.
AI has reached a point where Washington wants a closer look before everyone gets access. I understand why cybersecurity officials are paying attention. A model that can spot software flaws could help protect a hospital, a bank or a utility. In the wrong hands, though, that same capability could create new risks. For you, the takeaway is straightforward. AI tools will keep getting more capable, and that can be good news when they help defend your data. However, you still need to protect your accounts, question surprise AI offers and think twice before sharing sensitive information with any new tool.
Should powerful AI tools face a security review before public release, or should companies decide when they are ready for everyone to use? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
SJSU was told of decades-old allegations against volleyball coach during controversial 2024 season
During the San Jose State University (SJSU) volleyball team’s scandal-ridden 2024 season, the athletic department received a letter from one of head coach Todd Kress’ former players.
The letter included allegations that Kress attacked her in a hotel room in 1998.
Emails show that SJSU officials acknowledged the receipt of the allegations, thanked the former player for coming forward and apologized for her experiences. Despite this, Kress was never suspended and has continued to serve as the head coach of the women's volleyball team.
Fox News Digital was given copies of the emails exchanged between SJSU and the former Fairfield player, from an independently verified source. Fox News Digital has independently verified she played at Fairfield under Kress in the 1998 season, but is not disclosing her name.
Fox News Digital submitted a public records request seeking copies of documents with criteria that match the emails exchanged between SJSU and Kress’ former player, but the university formally declined the request, stating "the requested communications implicate substantial privacy interests."
Fox News Digital reached out to Kress, SJSU officials and the university’s legal counsel that handled the 2024 exchange with a series of questions, but did not receive a response from any of the parties.
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The original letter was written by a woman that played for Kress at Fairfield University in the late '90s, and sent to SJSU on Oct. 24, 2024.
That first email she sent to SJSU contained the letter with the written allegations against Kress, that was originally sent to Fairfield University. The alleged incident occurred in a hotel after Fairfield’s loss to Clemson in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament in December of that year. She wrote that a teammate asked her to bring her a shirt to Kress’ room.
"I told her I wanted no part of his insanity. I was distraught about the loss and wasn’t interested in his drunken insanity, which was commonplace on trips."
The former player added that her teammate "promised Todd would not throw water at me or do something juvenile so I reluctantly agreed to bring her the shirt."
"I knocked on the door and Todd answered. He immediately took caramel from a plastic container and smeared it all over my face and hair. He then forcibly threw me on the bed and held me down. I was in shock. He let go of me and then pulled his pants down and put his back side in my face.
"Astonished... that is the only word I can think of to describe how I felt in that moment... Todd was drunk. I got up and went for the door.
"Todd again grabbed me, picked me up, and threw me into the bathtub where he held me down and threatened to turn on the shower with me laying there to ‘clean the caramel off of my face.’ At this point I was fighting back to get away from him.
"Todd let me get out of the tub, laughing, and then he stood in front of the door blocking my exit. Todd told me he would only let me leave if I took a shot of liquor, which I did only to get him to move away from the door. Once he did, I ran for it. He chased me. I got into my room and although he seemed to be in a rage, he turned and calmly walked out," the letter alleges.
The former player goes on to allege her teammates "had been drinking with Todd underage." She also claimed she did not report the incident at the time because she "was scared of losing my scholarship and being the reason my teammates lost theirs."
Then she revealed why she was coming forward more than two decades later.
"But what is happening now at SJSU is egregious and he only continues to get more bold with each new school, and the complete improper balance of power seems to drive him. He knows very well that young impressionable female athletes are not in a balanced position," she wrote.
The "egregious" conduct she referred to was regarding Kress’ handling of the trans athlete on SJSU’s volleyball team.
When that letter was sent to SJSU, Kress was in the middle of leading a Spartans team that was near the top of the Mountain West Conference standings. They got there through a few wins and a lot of forfeits from other teams, as SJSU was at the center of a national media controversy over a transgender player. A female teammate had joined a lawsuit claiming she hadn’t been told of that player’s birth sex before joining the team and living together.
Later that day on Oct. 24, 2024, SJSU Athletic Director Jeff Konya responded to the former Fairfield player in an email.
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"I want to acknowledge that I am in receipt of your correspondence and will share it with the proper authorities on the SJSU campus for additional review," Konya wrote.
More than a week later, on Nov. 4, former SJSU interim Title IX and Gender Equity Officer Peter Lim reached out to set up a meeting with the former player and her attorney.
"Thank you for sharing your concerns about Coach Todd Kress. I am sorry to hear about your experiences. I have reviewed your letter and would like to meet with you to better understand your experiences with Coach Kress. The purpose of the meeting would be to help me assess potential next steps, which may or may not include an investigation into the reported conduct," Lim wrote.
Three days after that, on Nov. 7, Lim sent another email to the former Fairfield player, thanking her and her attorney for meeting with them.
"I am so sorry about your prior experiences with Todd Kress at Fairfield University. I appreciate the time you took to describe those experiences, the impact those experiences continue to have on you, and the safety threat that you believe he presents to SJSU’s volleyball team," Lim wrote.
"We are evaluating the information you provided and determining appropriate next steps. If it is okay with the two of you, I would appreciate staying in touch."
There was no further correspondence between the two parties after that exchange, Fox News Digital has learned.
Kress continued to coach and travel with SJSU’s volleyball team, all the way to the final game of the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas that year, where their season ended to Colorado State.
Kress coached the team again in 2025. They fell short of the conference tournament with a losing record in 2025.
Kress continues to be the head coach of the women’s volleyball team at SJSU.
A U.S. Department of Education (ED) Title IX investigation into SJSU over the transgender scandal determined that the university allegedly made the decision to not suspend or relieve its head volleyball coach during the team's 2024 transgender scandal, despite Title IX-related complaints against the coach. The investigation’s findings made no mention of the former Fairfield player and her letter.
However, the investigation did not disclose what those complaints were, and SJSU and the California State University System (CSU) are suing the department to challenge those findings.
ED's findings, which were provided by SJSU to Fox News Digital in response to a public records request, suggest the school allegedly considered potential media attention that would arise from taking any action against the coach, and the affect it would have on the team.
The findings do not mention the coach by name, but Fox News Digital reasonably believes the figure titled "Coach 2" in the findings to be current SJSU volleyball head coach Todd Kress. The findings specify Coach 2 as the current head coach of the SJSU volleyball team who began his tenure in the 2023, which was the year Kress took over his current position.
"Additional notes indicate the decision to not suspend Coach 2 also included the improper consideration: 'If we relieve him… [w]e could also spark more media attention…. ' University records indicate University officials, including the President of the University, agreed to not suspend Coach 2 because they felt his suspension would unduly disrupt the team," the findings state.
Kress continues to be the coach at SJSU. He is one of the more accomplished volleyball coaches in NCAA history, currently ranking 21st all-time in NCAA history in wins with 550. But he has only led one winning season for SJSU since arriving in 2023, that being the controversial 2024 campaign with a trans player.
SJSU has faced federal sanctions for an unrelated Title IX violations since 2021. That year, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) found that the university ignored more than a decade of sexual assault and harassment complaints made by female student-athletes against a former director of sports medicine/head athletic trainer.
Beginning in 2009, an athletic trainer subjected female student-athletes to repeated, unwelcome sexual touching under the guise of medical treatment.
The DOJ found that SJSU repeatedly mishandled, downplayed or failed to properly investigate these reports, which ultimately exposed additional student-athletes to harm.
To remedy these violations, SJSU agreed to pay a $1.6 million financial settlement to the affected victims and implement sweeping corrective measures.
On June 9, 2026, Fox News Digital submitted a formal public records request to San Jose State University seeking copies of the Oct. 24, 2024, complaint letter sent to Athletic Director Konya, the Nov. 1 follow-up email, and the subsequent Nov. 7 correspondence from the university's Title IX office.
On June 22, 2026, SJSU’s public records office formally denied the request. In a response issued by university legal counsel J. Leah Castella, the school acknowledged the existence of the records but determined they were not disclosable under the California Public Records Act.
"The requested communications implicate substantial privacy interests," the university's response stated.
"Disclosure of these records would therefore constitute an invasion of privacy that outweighs the public interest in disclosure. Specifically, these records are being withheld subject to the following exemptions: Personnel Records/Privacy... General Privacy Rights... [and the] Balancing Test. Here, the public interest served by disclosure is minimal and is outweighed by the public interest served against disclosure in protecting substantial and significant privacy rights."
Following the records denial, Fox News Digital sent a detailed press inquiry to Kress, Konya, Lim and Castella. The inquiry summarized the exact dates, timestamps and contents of the internal records obtained independently by Fox News Digital, and posed a series of explicit questions to the parties, including requests for Kress' response to the 1998 allegations, details on what specific next steps the Title IX office took following their November 2024 meetings, and whether athletic department officials interviewed current volleyball players regarding their safety.
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The inquiry also questioned university legal counsel regarding the decision to classify the public interest in these safety warnings as "minimal" while the university is actively engaged in a federal lawsuit defending its Title IX compliance within the volleyball program. Fox News Digital has not sought judicial relief on SJSU’s claim.
As of publication time, neither Kress, Konya, nor any legal or communications representatives for San Jose State University have responded to the requests for comment.
Fox News Digital also reached out to Fairfield University for request for a response to the former player’s letter, but a spokesperson responded, writing, "The university does not comment on former or current personnel matters."