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Chiefs and Browns make first trade of 2026 draft and both eventually fill needs
The Cleveland Browns, rumored to be willing to trade down from their No. 6 overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, did just that Thursday evening when the traded the pick to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cleveland traded the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to the Chiefs, in exchange for the ninth overall pick, as well as pick No. 74 in the third round and No. 148 in the fifth round.
The Browns now hold the No. 9 and No. 24 picks in the first round of the draft. They have a total of 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
So the Chiefs gave up three picks in making the first trade of the first round.
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And we know what the fan bases of both clubs were thinking prior to the selection:
Chiefs fans were thinking we know something they don't. And then the Chiefs selected cornerback Mansoor Delane from LSU -- a move no doubt forced by the club's trade of Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams earlier in the offseason.
So, the Chiefs fill a major need, assuming Delane is indeed the quality corner they believe.
GREG OLSEN'S ADVICE FOR NFL DRAFT FIRST-ROUND PICKS ON HANDLING HIGH EXPECTATIONS
ESPN's Mel Kiper didn't like the pick, by the way. He had Delane as the 14th best player in the draft.
"It was a necessity," ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, a former NFL defensive back, responded.
Browns fans weren't thinking that way.
BROWNS MAKE STUNNING KENNY PICKETT TRADE TO RAIDERS AS BACKUP QUARTERBACK ROLE REMAINS WIDE OPEN
They were probably thinking something akin to "We screwed up."
This is understandable because they're Browns fans and this could have been the Browns Browning.
Well, the Browns, moving down three slots, gave up a shot to draft linebacker Sonny Styles of Ohio State to the Washington Commanders, receiver Jordyn Tyson to the New Orleans Saints and then the Browns got their chance with the newly acquired No. 9 pick:
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Offensive tackle Spencer Fano of Utah.
Fano is good. And he makes the Browns offensive line instantly better because he's going to likely start at left tackle for them.
So what will Browns fans think of this pick?
They'll probably wonder why the Browns didn't pick Miami's Francis Mauigoa, who went with the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants and promised "to die for" Jaxson Dart if necessary. They'll wonder this because Browns fans expect the worst.
Trump cabinet member scraps Obama-era gender identity housing rule, cites ‘biological reality’
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner has ordered an immediate halt to enforcement of a key Obama-era housing rule tied to gender identity, directing the agency to operate programs based on biological sex.
The directive stops any pending or future enforcement of HUD’s 2016 Equal Access Rule, which expanded gender identity as formally recognized in federally-funded housing programs and shelters.
The move marks a significant shift in how shelters and HUD-funded providers operate, particularly those serving women fleeing domestic violence, and implements President Donald Trump’s executive order to restore what the administration calls "biological truth" across the federal government.
"I am directing HUD staff to halt any pending or future enforcement actions related to HUD’s 2016 Equal Access Rule, which, in essence, tied housing programs, shelters and other facilities funded by HUD to far-left gender ideology," Turner said.
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"We, at this agency, are carrying out the mission laid out by President Trump on January 20th… to restore biological truth to the federal government," he added. "This means recognizing there are only two sexes: male and female. It means getting government out of the way of what the Lord established from the beginning when he created man in His own image."
The 2016 rule allowed people to self-identify for gender when accessing certain housing services, limiting the ability of shelters to challenge that identification.
Critics of the rule argued it restricted the rights of shelters, particularly those serving women impacted by trauma, domestic abuse and violence, by requiring them to admit individuals based on gender identity rather than biological sex.
JUDGE FORCES CA HOSPITAL TO KEEP TRANS TREATMENTS FOR MINORS DESPITE TRUMP FUNDING THREAT
Turner framed the move as part of a broader overhaul of HUD policy and spending.
"Moreover, this is just the first of many examples of how, starting on day one, HUD is going back to work for the American people and being a good steward of taxpayer dollars," he said. "There will be more where this came from."
The Equal Access Rule was first introduced in 2012, prohibiting discrimination in HUD-funded programs based on sexual orientation, gender identity and marital status. A 2016 update expanded those protections by requiring programs to recognize gender identity as well.
Turner’s order does not repeal the rule, but halts enforcement tied to the 2016 expansion.
"As I have said before, we are going to take inventory of HUD’s programs and ensure every dollar that goes out the door is advancing HUD’s mission, which is to provide quality, affordable homes for communities across the country – urban, rural and tribal –and promote economic investment to build stronger communities and a brighter future for all Americans," Turner said.
Massive crowd in attendance for NFL Draft in Pittsburgh: PHOTOS
Well, the NFL got what it wanted Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
Hours before Round 1 even started, the line to get into the Draft Experience was already thousands of people deep. The Steelers posted a video of fans lined up in broad daylight, and by the time ESPN was showing aerial shots on TV, the area outside Acrisure Stadium looked absolutely jammed.
Whatever official number winds up getting attached to it later, Pittsburgh already passed the eyeball test.
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And that’s really the whole point now.
The league has spent years turning this NFL Draft into a giant traveling football party, and Pittsburgh is the latest proof that the concept works.
Shocking development: football fans enjoy football. They don't even need football being played on a field. The NFL has shown that it can put its commissioner on a stage, reading a bunch of names, and still draw hundreds of thousands of people to a venue. It's quite impressive, honestly.
Pittsburgh is exactly the type of city that makes sense for the league to target for the NFL Draft. Pittsburgh isn't getting a Super Bowl because it's a cold winter city with an outdoor stadium. But the fanbase is rabid and hungry to host major events.
Plus, it looks great on TV. The skyline and the bridges produce a beautiful April backdrop. And the shot of that packed area outside Acrisure (still Heinz Field in the hearts of civilized people) is exactly what the league wants the country to see.
It also helps that this is the kind of city where people will actually show up for something like this. Because they genuinely care and that matters. It's not like holding the draft in a city like Los Angeles where people are showing up simply so they have something cool to post on Instagram.
For all the hand-wringing every year about how many prospects decide to attend in person, the NFL has made its choice pretty clear. It would much rather have a sea of fans outside than a few more players in the green room. That’s where the energy comes from. That’s what looks good on TV. And, more importantly for the league, that’s what keeps turning the draft into one of the biggest events on the sports calendar even though there's not a single player in uniform taking a snap.
Pittsburgh delivered that before the first pick was even announced.
Maybe the final attendance number winds up flirting with the biggest draft crowds we’ve seen. Maybe it doesn’t. But nobody looking at the scene Thursday could seriously argue that the city didn’t show up in a huge way.
The NFL wanted a monster crowd and a full-on festival atmosphere.
Pittsburgh gave it one.
California ‘basic income’ experiment fails to provide ‘financial independence,’ study finds
A California guaranteed income pilot program intended to lift families out of poverty failed to lead participants to long-term financial independence, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis.
The Yolo County Basic Income (YoBI) program provided "no-strings-attached" cash assistance to a highly targeted group of at-risk residents. While the payments served as a temporary lifeline, researchers found that for the "significant majority" of participants, the program was not enough to break the cycle of poverty.
"While [Basic Income] reduced some of the immediate urgency around money and allowed families some stability, most participants still had unmet financial needs," the study reported.
The program differed from standard Universal Basic Income (UBI) by focusing exclusively on families with children under age six who were already enrolled in the state’s CalWORKs program and experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
Nolan Sullivan, the former interim director of Yolo County Health and Human Services, described the initiative in 2022 as a "super targeted basic income" (TBI).
"It’s not just like randomly distributing wealth amongst a group of people," Sullivan said at the time. "We are laser-focused on one particular group... really trying to break the rule of generational poverty."
Under the pilot, participants received monthly checks averaging $1,289 for a two-year period. The goal was to raise family income to 200% of the federal poverty level.
The UC Davis findings, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, highlight a recurring theme in guaranteed income experiments: the "survival mode" trap.
Participants reported that while the cash helped cover predictable expenses and pay down debt, it did not provide a cushion for the "unexpected." Researchers noted that car repairs, medical bills, or a sudden loss of employment quickly wiped out any progress made through the monthly stipends.
One participant told researchers that without the program, they would likely be "out there looking for places to sleep." However, the study concludes that despite these "lived experience" successes in preventing homelessness, a clear path to total financial self-sufficiency remained elusive for most.
NEWLY LAUNCHED COALITION WITH ‘AFFORDABILITY AGENDA’ VOWS TO ATTACK GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAMS
Despite the lack of long-term financial independence cited in the Yolo County study, advocates continue to push for the expansion of such programs. Similar pilots have popped up across the country, with Cook County, Illinois, recently turning its pilot into the nation’s first permanent guaranteed income program.
Critics, however, argue that these programs create a "fiscal cliff," where recipients struggle even harder once the temporary government funding expires.
Yolo County officials did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
ICE nabs illegal aliens convicted of child sex crimes and meth trafficking in nationwide enforcement sweep
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested multiple individuals Wednesday who were convicted of serious crimes, including sexual assault and drug trafficking, as part of enforcement actions during National Crime Victims Week, officials said.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the arrests targeted individuals with prior convictions for offenses such as aggravated sexual assault, lewd acts with a child, assault by strangulation and distribution of methamphetamine.
"During National Crime Victims Week, DHS is continuing its work to fight for justice for victims of illegal alien crime," acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. "By removing criminal illegal aliens from our communities, ICE is stopping them before they can perpetrate more crimes and create more victims."
Officials highlighted several of the arrests from this week.
One man, Carlos Portillo-Nunez of El Salvador, was previously convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child in Indio, California, according to DHS.
Pablo Blanco-Fortuna, an illegal alien from Mexico, was convicted of aggravated sexual assault and failing to register as a sex offender in Hidalgo, Texas, and Roberto Vallejo-Benitez, also from Mexico, was convicted of assault by strangulation in Wake County, North Carolina, officials said.
Guatemalan national Eladio Laines was previously convicted of sexual assault and unlawful restraint involving serious bodily injury in Chester, Pennsylvania, and Alfredo Delgado-Perez, another Mexican national, was convicted of distributing methamphetamine in Los Angeles.
The arrests come after the U.S. experienced historically high levels of illegal immigration in recent years.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded more than 2 million migrant encounters along the southern border in both fiscal years 2022 and 2023, according to DHS data, before declining in 2024.
CHRISTMASTIME ICE OPERATION ‘ANGEL’S HONOR’ NETS CHILD RAPIST, TORTURER
The individuals arrested are from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador, countries that have consistently accounted for a significant share of illegal border crossings in recent years, according to DHS encounter data.
ICE has said it prioritizes the arrest and removal of illegal aliens with prior criminal convictions, particularly those involving violence, sexual offenses and drug trafficking.
While DHS highlights arrests involving serious criminal offenses, such cases represent a small portion of the millions of illegal alien encounters recorded nationwide in recent years, based on CBP data.
The federal agency said the arrests were part of its broader efforts to remove individuals with criminal convictions from U.S. communities. It also pointed victims to its Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office for support services.
"Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, DHS will never stop fighting for justice for the innocent Americans whose lives were stolen by illegal aliens who should have never been in our country," Bis said.
Former North Carolina police officer arrested for allegedly planning mass shooting at New Orleans festival
A former North Carolina police officer was arrested in Florida after authorities said he planned a mass shooting at a New Orleans music festival.
Christopher Gillum, 45, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken into custody around 6:40 p.m. Wednesday at a hotel in Destin, Florida, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said.
Authorities said Gillum was wanted for making "terroristic threats" and was believed to be traveling to a festival in New Orleans to "conduct a mass shooting."
Investigators recovered a handgun and about 200 rounds of ammunition from his hotel room.
8 CHILDREN DEAD IN MASS SHOOTING THAT BEGAN AS DOMESTIC DISPUTE, POLICE SAY
Gillum’s family reported him missing Tuesday, telling authorities he had a history of self-harm and had made threats to harm "Black people," according to a police bulletin from Burlington, North Carolina.
Lt. Clint Lyons of the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office said Gillum left the state before authorities could initiate an involuntary commitment, adding there were no legal grounds to detain him at the time.
Earlier Wednesday, Gillum was stopped by law enforcement in Okaloosa County but was released because he did not meet criteria for arrest or commitment, according to the bulletin.
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Deputies later conducted surveillance after learning he was under investigation and arrested him once a warrant was issued from Louisiana, authorities said.
Gillum is expected to be extradited to Louisiana to face charges, the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities did not name the event, but the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — known as Jazz Fest — runs through May 3 and draws hundreds of thousands of attendees annually. Louisiana State Police said "there are no known direct threats" to any festivals in the state.
Gillum served as a sworn police officer in Chapel Hill from 2004 until his resignation in 2019, according to a town spokesperson.
He later worked as a police officer in Carolina Beach from October 2019 to October 2020, then became a detention officer with the Orange County, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Office in October 2023, leaving in July 2024.
Gillum returned to the Chapel Hill Police Department as a non-sworn employee in 2024 before leaving later that year. He was rehired as an Orange County sheriff’s deputy in January 2025 but resigned that September.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Long Island PTA mom accused of stealing $50K from elementary school while she served as NYPD officer
Authorities announced the arrest Wednesday of a Long Island PTA mom accused of siphoning more than $50,000 from an elementary school over a three-year span while she was employed as a New York Police Department officer.
Jodi Scarlatos, 43, of Centereach, served as treasurer of the Jericho Elementary School PTA when she allegedly began using association funds to bankroll personal expenses and outings around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said.
According to a lawsuit filed in Suffolk County Supreme Court, Scarlatos allegedly made the troubling transactions as she began defaulting on her mortgage payments in July 2022, prompting her bank to initiate foreclosure proceedings. The suit said she owes a total debt exceeding $375,000.
She was reportedly caught after her control of the PTA bank account was transferred to a new board of members around 2023, at which point the alleged discrepancies began to surface.
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"Parent Teacher Associations serve a vital function in school communities throughout Suffolk County," District Attorney Raymond Tierney said.
"The allegations in this case represent a betrayal of the trust the residents of Centereach placed in this defendant, and my office will continue to hold accountable everyone who unlawfully enriches themselves at the public’s expense."
Her lawyer told Fox News Digital Thursday the PTA mom had previously worked as a transit officer with the New York Police Department. She reportedly retired from the force in January 2025.
According to prosecutors, Scarlatos served as treasurer of the Jericho Elementary School PTA from July 2020 through September 2023.
MARRIED OHIO SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR, 43, LEARNS SENTENCE FOR SEX WITH TEEN STUDENT IN OFFICE
During that time, she was issued a debit card intended solely for PTA-related expenses but allegedly used the funds for restaurants, hotels, rental cars, Best Buy, Ticketmaster, Amazon and Verizon Wireless.
Scarlatos also allegedly moved cash from the PTA coffers into her personal bank account, prosecutors alleged.
In addition, officials said she continued making transactions during summer recesses and holiday breaks, periods when school was not in session.
In July 2022, Scarlatos allegedly stopped paying her mortgage, according to a foreclosure lawsuit filed by U.S. Bank Trust National Association in March 2024. Court records point to mounting financial pressure and significant debt leading up to the action.
The following year, just months before she stepped away from her school role, the embattled PTA official had initiated a small fundraiser for a hospital supported by the elementary school, according to her Facebook page.
"Help me raise funds for St. Jude!," she wrote in a Jan. 17, 2023, Facebook post. "I've joined the fight to help end childhood cancer by participating in the St. Jude Math-A-Thon.
"I'm solving math problems and raising funds to help St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. You can help me reach my fundraising goal for the kids of St. Jude, who are battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases."
FORMER CONNECTICUT POLICE CHIEF ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING $85K IN PUBLIC FUNDS
Scarlatos’ transactions allegedly continued until the next board members for the 2023–2024 school year took over and discovered the troubling findings, according to investigators.
Scarlatos surrendered to the district attorney’s office Monday and was arraigned before District Court Judge Jonathan Bloom on a charge of grand larceny in the second degree, a Class C felony.
If convicted, she faces five to 15 years in prison.
The Long Island mom was released without bail and is due back in court May 5, 2026.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Jericho Elementary School PTA and NYPD for more information.
A new survey reveals the MLB's most foul-mouthed fanbase
When you start thinking about which MLB teams' fanbases have the filthiest mouths, there's a good chance a few cities instantly jump to mind.
In fact, there's a good chance Philadelphia popped into your head. It did for me.
But a new survey from Vegas Insider has found the most foul-mouthed fanbases in the MLB, and the top team might surprise you a little at first... and then it will make total sense.
That team? Technically, a franchise that played in Philadelphia at one point, but is now in Sacramento limbonow in Sacramento limbo ahead of a move to Vegas: the Athletics.
PHILLIES PLAYERS SCATTER AS RAT RUNS ALONG DUGOUT DURING ANOTHER LOSS, EXTENDING SEVEN-GAME SKID
This was determined by combing through each of the 30 Big League teams' subreddits on social media platform Reddit and determining the percentage of comments that contained an expletive.
The A's led the league with a 6.03% of comments containing a swear word, the most common of which was "f--k."
Second was the BostonBoston Red Sox — another one of my guesses for top dog — whose comments featured a four-letter word 5.114% of the time.
The most swear-heavy team that made "s--t" their favorite word was the Houston Astros, who came in at No. 9.
Now, I was a little surprised about the A's at first, but given the frustrating lack of success followed by their move out of Oakland, I get it.
If my team were picking up shop, skipping town, and then playing in a minor league park for a few years, I'd probably let some expletives fly, too.
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The same study also measured the tone of comments, with the Boston Red Sox having the most negative fans, followed by the Athletics.
Again. Somewhat self-explanatory.
Hopefully, better days are ahead for the Athletics faithful.
Otherwise, it seems like they may start adding some swear jars around the stadium.
Fernando Mendoza, the No 1 pick of NFL Draft to the Raiders, tasked with returning a legacy franchise to glory
The block around Fernando Mendoza’s home in Coral Gables, Florida was roped off by early afternoon on Thursday and the roast pig – a lechon asado to Cubans like the Mendozas – was in the Caja China all day.
No, Mendoza didn’t make it to Pittsburgh for the 2026 NFL draft. But his family's draft party in South Florida was, by all accounts, epic.
And that’s the way it should be because it was befitting of Mendoza being selected by the Las Vegas Raiders as the first overall pick of the draft.
"The last five month have been such a blessing by God, I can't thank him enough," Mendoza said in his first interview after being selected. "I'm just looking forward to get to work, improve at the next level. College was fantastic. I'm so bless to have that career.
"But now I step into a great game, the NFL, look forward to proving and earning it every single day."
TYLER LINDERBAUM'S $81M RECORD-BREAKING DEAL HEADLINES RAIDERS' FREE AGENT SPENDING SPREE
Not bad for a kid who used to occasionally confess to family, friends and teammates, "I don't imagine myself a high draft pick."
That all changed when Mendoza transferred to Indiana University before the 2025 season, and out of that unlikely college football power came the improbable Heisman Trophy winner, national championship winning quarterback, and first pick in the draft.
The Raiders used only a minute or two of the eight allotted before turning in their card to the NFL for Mendoza.
Only in America.
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The Raiders believe in Mendoza. But the Raiders organization is rife with quarterback misfires in its recent history.
The club signed Geno Smith to make them a contender last season under coach Pete Carroll. Smith led the NFL with 17 interceptions, Carroll was fired, and the team was so bad as to "earn" the first pick in this draft.
TRADES COULD SAVE NFL DRAFT LACKING FRANCHISE QBS, POLARIZING PLAYERS FROM BEING A YAWNER
Before that, Gardner Minshew failed as a bridge quarterback and Aidan O’Connell didn’t quite develop into a dependable starter.
Before that, Jimmy Garoppolo signed as a free agent but was often injured and inconsistent when healthy. He started only six games in 2023 and was released the following offseason.
Before that, it was Derek Carr, mostly functional during his time, getting benched in 2022 and ultimately released.
You get the point. It's been awhile since Ken Stabler, Jim Plunkett or even Rich Gannon won a Super Bowl for the franchise.
Mendoza is expected to turn that sad narrative around. But it won’t necessarily be right away. The Raiders signed veteran Kirk Cousins earlier this offseason as a bridge starter while Mendoza learns and develops.
The rookie will have some time. But not forever.
He’s been drafted to lift a legacy franchise back to glory. But that won't be an easy assignment because other franchises will get a vote whether it happens.
PROJECTED TOP PICK FERNANDO MENDOZA MAKES BIG NFL DRAFT DECISION: REPORT
Mendoza goes to the AFC West where it is impossible to win without outstanding quarterback play.
The Kansas City Chiefs have owned the division since Patrick Mahomes became their starting quarterback in 2018. They won it seven consecutive times until falling back last season.
The Denver Broncos won the division last season because they have one of the NFL’s rising quarterbacks in Bo Nix, who came close to a 4,000-yard season in 2025.
The Los Angeles Chargers made the playoffs a season ago and Justin Herbert typically is among the league leaders in passing yards (9th last year) and touchdown passes (tied for seventh).
Now the Raiders answer with Fernando Mendoza – officially the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft.
Patriots' Mike Vrabel speaks out after photos of him kissing NFL reporter Dianna Russini leak
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel took questions about his recent decision to step away from the team amid a series of photo leaks that appear to show him engaging in romantic and personal moments with former New York Times/The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini.
Vrabel will miss multiple days of the NFL Draft, which he announced early on Thursday.
In the hours that followed that announcement, photos that appeared to show Vrabel and Russini kissing at a bar were published by the New York Post and were reportedly taken six years ago.
Later Thursday, TMZ published photos of Vrabel and Russini at a casino.
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"My previous actions don't meet the standard that I hold myself to," Vrabel said. "My priorities are my family and this football team, in that order. And there is a balance there that I am going to create."
At the end of the news conference, Vrabel was asked to explain why he initially made a statement calling photos of him and Russini at an Arizona resort "laughable" after they were published by the New York Post earlier in April.
"That's a private and personal matter. I don't think that those comments ... it was an attempt to protect your family," Vrabel said.
It was the last question Vrabel answered before storming off the podium and out of the room.
PATRIOTS COACH MIKE VRABEL SEEKS OUT 'RATS' AFTER LEAKED INJURY REPORT: 'WE’LL FIGURE THAT OUT'
Vrabel will be leaving the team's NFL Draft in the hands of general manager Eliot Wolf.
"I'm confident in the people that we have. I'm confident in our preparation," Vrabel said.
"When you prioritize your family first and your job, that's what's required. And that's what's was necessary. Got a lot of support from everybody involved. So, that's what I was able to do — and willingly — and I want to do that.
"When my family needs me, I'll be there."
When asked if he would miss any more football activities in the coming weeks, Vrabel said, "I can't answer that. I can only say whatever my family needs, that's what I'm going to provide.
"I have to do what's needed of me with my family. So, again, I'm confident that whatever they need, I'm going to provide."
When asked if he felt he had to prove himself again to his players, Vrabel said, "I have to make them a priority, that's what I have to do. I have to make my family and this football team my priority."
The Patriots released a statement ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft Thursday night voicing support for Vrabel.
"The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel’s decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being," the statement from the Patriots said.
"Mike has been open with us about his commitment to being the best version of himself for his family, this team and our fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to follow through on that commitment.
"We are confident in the leadership and communication Mike has established with our personnel staff throughout this pre-draft process. While he will not be present at the facility on Saturday, we know the draft evaluations are complete, and Eliot Wolf and his personnel staff are prepared to execute our draft as planned this weekend."
Russini resigned from her position with The New York Times last week.
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