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Trump admin launches 'summer surge' of feds to make DC safest city in America ahead of 250th anniversary
The D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force is launching a massive "summer surge" of federal law enforcement to ensure Washington, D.C., is the safest city in America ahead of the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebrations.
During a news conference Friday, leaders touted the Trump administration's success in driving down violent crime in the city since the D.C. task force launched last year.
The joint law enforcement operation has resulted in nearly 13,000 arrests, the seizure of more than 1,400 illegal guns, the apprehension of 32 murder suspects, and the recovery of 23 missing children.
Due to the aggressive enforcement efforts, overall crime in D.C. has plummeted 26%, with homicides dropping nearly 50% and carjackings down 60%. The U.S. Attorney's Office added it has secured more than 7,000 convictions over the past year.
Officials said a focal point of the summer surge will be crushing the "teen takeovers" that have terrorized D.C. neighborhoods and shut down local businesses.
Blasting the D.C. Council for "refusing to deal with the problem," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced a zero-tolerance policy that shifts the legal burden onto the parents of delinquent youth.
Starting immediately, federal prosecutors will charge parents under a D.C. statute for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Parents who drop their kids off, fail to supervise them or allow them to skip school to participate in the chaos will face fines, court-mandated classes and up to six months in jail.
DC US ATTORNEY SAYS ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ AS YOUTH CRIME PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON NATION’S CAPITAL
"Law-abiding taxpayers should no longer have to pay for parental neglect," Pirro said. "Parents, do your jobs or we will do ours. In the end, taxpayers will no longer subsidize the chaos caused by parental neglect."
Noting that the task force is "coming for perfection," officials said multiple federal agencies will flood the district with personnel and advanced technology to root out remaining criminal networks.
A formal request has been made for an additional 1,500 National Guardsmen to deploy to D.C., bringing the total troop presence to 5,000.
The task force will also deploy high-visibility patrols, drones, tactical K-9 units and helicopters to curb crime.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said it will ramp up resources to target out-of-state drug trafficking cartels, arguing that drug dealers should be "treated like terrorists."
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said it will increase operations to seize illegal firearms being trafficked into the city from Maryland and Virginia.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will double its special agents on the streets to target identity theft and those who fraudulently obtain housing without paying rent.
In a stark warning to anyone planning political violence in the capital, Pirro said offenders will face "the full wrath of the law," announcing her office filed notice to seek the death penalty against Elias Rodriguez, 31, the suspect accused of murdering two young Israeli embassy staff members at the Capitol Jewish Museum on May 21, 2025.
Alex Murdaugh retrial could bring potential death penalty as AG says 'all our legal options are on the table'
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said Friday that prosecutors could seek the death penalty against Alex Murdaugh if he is found guilty again at a new trial after the state Supreme Court overturned his murder convictions.
"In light of the Supreme Court’s decision, we’re back to square one on this case, and that means all our legal options are on the table, including the death penalty," Wilson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The South Carolina Supreme Court this week vacated Murdaugh’s 2023 convictions in the fatal shootings of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and younger son, Paul Murdaugh, citing improper contact with jurors by former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill. The court ordered a new trial.
FAA unveils new air traffic controller hiring plan after chief warned system was ‘chronically understaffed’
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unveiled an aggressive new workforce overhaul on Friday aimed at tackling chronic staffing shortages, excessive overtime and aging technology across the nation’s air traffic control system.
The newly released 2026-2028 Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan calls for hiring thousands of new controllers, modernizing scheduling systems and replacing aging infrastructure across the National Airspace System.
The plan comes months after FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford warned lawmakers that air traffic control towers would "never" reach full staffing levels if the agency continued operating under its current structure.
"We’ll never catch up," Bedford said during a December congressional hearing. "The system is designed to be chronically understaffed."
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The overhaul also comes amid heightened scrutiny of aviation safety following a series of airport disruptions, delays and close-call incidents that have raised fresh questions about whether the nation’s air traffic control infrastructure is keeping pace with growing travel demand.
"This forward-thinking plan delivers on President Donald J. Trump’s promise to provide the American flying public with a world-class air traffic control system, and that starts with highly trained, professional air traffic controllers," Bedford said in a statement.
"We can’t continue to operate the same way and expect better results," he added. "We’re changing how we hire, train and schedule our controller workforce — and providing them with the state-of-the-art tools they need to succeed."
AI AIR TRAFFIC SYSTEM PROMISES FEWER FLIGHT DELAYS
The FAA said the plan identifies a full staffing target of 12,563 certified professional controllers based on forecast demand. As of April 2026, the agency said roughly 11,000 certified professional controllers were deployed across more than 300 air traffic facilities.
The agency also has an additional 4,000 controllers in the training pipeline, including about 1,000 who were previously fully certified but are now training at new facilities, according to the plan.
Rebuilding the workforce will take time. The FAA said it can take more than two years to fully certify a new-hire controller depending on the complexity of the facility where they are assigned.
FAA SCRAMBLES TO HIRE 8,900 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS BY 2028 AS SHORTAGE REACHES CRISIS LEVELS
The agency plans to hire 2,200 new air traffic controllers in fiscal year 2026, 2,300 in fiscal year 2027 and 2,400 in fiscal year 2028 while expanding partnerships with colleges, universities and technical schools.
The workforce plan also acknowledges the strain excessive overtime has placed on controllers.
"Use of a limited amount of overtime is a reasonable means of addressing unexpected variances of work demands," the plan states. "However, the levels reached in FY 2023 – FY 2025 far exceed any reasonable use of mandatory overtime."
"Chronic use of overtime leads to fatigue, controller burnout and ultimately loss of retention," the report says.
The plan also notes that workforce scheduling and controller timekeeping are still handled manually by local facility managers.
"It is difficult to understand why no automation tools have been deployed to schedule our workforce or track time, attendance and functional work accomplished," the report states.
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT DEPLOYING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO SPOT AIR TRAFFIC DANGERS, DUFFY SAYS
The FAA said improving average controller time on position from about four hours to more than five hours per eight-hour shift could increase effective workforce availability enough to meet current staffing targets.
The workforce plan also calls for replacing decades-old infrastructure with a fully digital system, expanding simulator-based training and using artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to better manage air traffic demand.
Lawmakers also raised concerns during Bedford’s December testimony about the age of some FAA systems, including reports that certain facilities still rely on floppy disks.
"When you’re still using floppy disks, that makes everybody less safe, that makes the agency less effective," Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said during the hearing.
Rep. Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., also said she saw floppy disks still in use during a visit to the FAA’s terminal radar approach control facility on Long Island, which manages traffic into major New York-area airports.
Bedford told lawmakers the FAA had committed more than $6 billion of the $12.5 billion it received under Trump-backed legislation, including investments in telecommunications infrastructure and new radar surveillance systems.
SEAN DUFFY PROPOSES BIG PLANS TO UPGRADE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS, USE AI TO FIND ‘HOT SPOTS’
The new workforce plan says the FAA will replace "decades-old, unreliable, analog infrastructure" with a "fully digital network system," arguing that modern tools will improve reliability, reduce outages and give controllers a more stable working environment.
The FAA said the plan builds on its fiscal year 2025 hiring surge, when the agency hired 2,028 air traffic controller trainees, its highest total since 2008.
The agency also raised starting salaries for academy students by nearly 30% and implemented financial incentives for academy completion.
Still, the FAA said total workforce losses in fiscal year 2025 — including retirements, resignations, promotions, removals, training failures and academy attrition — totaled 1,460.
Nearly 400 retirement-eligible controllers were retained through a new bonus structure, according to the agency.
The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies previously found that about 30% of FAA facilities were staffed more than 10% below staffing targets, while another 30% were staffed 10% or more above targets.
The FAA said prior hiring disruptions, including sequestration, government shutdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic, had long-term effects on staffing levels, particularly at major facilities serving some of the nation’s largest airports.
Even with thousands of hires planned, FAA officials acknowledged the air traffic controller shortage will not be solved quickly.
Between years-long training, retirements, staffing imbalances and modernization challenges, the agency’s own projections make clear the pressure on America’s air traffic control system is expected to continue even as air travel demand continues rising.
Fox News Digital's Ashley Carnahan contributed to this reporting.
Dodgers catcher takes out frustration on himself by banging bat over his own head after strikeout
Dalton Rushing is in a bit of a slump, and he sure knows it.
The Los Angeles Dodgers catcher and first baseman got off to a scorching start to the season as he found playing time with Will Smith, hitting .444 with a 1.761 OPS in his first eight games of the season.
But in 14 games since then, he's 7 for his last 39, which accounts for a .179 batting average, and has posted a .484 OPS.
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In the bottom of the fourth inning with a runner on second against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night, Rushing struck out on a breaking ball out of the zone and was not pleased with himself. Rushing broke his bat over his leg and slammed his leg guard on the dugout bench.
Two innings later, with men in scoring position, Rushing struck out on a high fastball, and he put himself in harm's way by slamming his new bat over his helmet — still on his head — three times.
Overall, it was a game to forget for Rushing, who struck out three times in a hitless effort. He has not gotten a hit since May 6.
BASEBALL FAN HOSPITALIZED AFTER FALLING INTO VISITING BULLPEN DURING WHITE SOX-ROYALS GAME
After losing four consecutive games, each by at least four runs, the Dodgers, even with Rushing's struggles, got back on track to win the final two games of their four-game series against the Giants, including a 5-2 victory on Thursday.
They haven't exactly wowed the competition, as they sit at 25-18, but they have not let go of first place in the National League West yet this season. However, the San Diego Padres remain right on their tail.
The Dodgers embark on a nine-game road trip on Friday night, although they don't have to go far for the first three, as they'll face the Los Angeles Angels.
But then, it's a big series against the Padres before taking on the Milwaukee Brewers in a National League Championship Series rematch.
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Minnesota Timberwolves are cooked: Why San Antonio Spurs close out the series and cover in Game 6
The San Antonio Spurs (3-2) look to punch their ticket to the Western Conference Finals when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-3) at the Target Center Friday for Game 6.
San Antonio crushed Minnesota in a pivotal Game 5, 126-97, to take control of the series. Victor Wembanyama got revenge for getting tossed in the first half of Game 4 for elbowing T-Wolves big Naz Reid Tuesday. Wembanyama had game-highs in points (27) and rebounds (17) in Game 5.
Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards has been fantastic while playing through injury in this series. Ant-Man is averaging a team-high 23.6 points in this series on 50.6% shooting and 40.0% from behind the arc. His teammates, on the other hand, not so much.
I’ll get into that below as part of my betting analysis for Spurs-Timberwolves Game 6.
There are two reasons why I’m betting San Antonio to wrap this series up Friday and cover the spread. First, Edwards doesn’t have enough help. Second, the only games the Spurs have lost in this series are when either Wemby has played terribly or gotten thrown out of the game.
This is a horrible matchup for Minnesota’s second-leading scorer during the regular season, PF Julius Randle. When Wembanyama is on the floor, it’s nearly impossible for Randle to attack the basket. Julius is averaging just 14.8 points in this series on 45.4% true shooting (.366/.211/.750).
He can’t create off the dribble either when San Antonio wing Stephon Castle guards him. Castle is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and it’s much easier to play defense when you have Wemby protecting the rim.
Meanwhile, Timberwolves C Rudy Gobert is pretty much useless in this series offensively. He is a bad outside shooter and can’t pull Wembanyama out of the paint. Not that it wouldn’t matter anyway. Wembanyama is clearly in Gobert’s head because he is even smoking layups in this series.
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This brings me back to my second pro-Spurs factor: the best basketball player in the world, Wembanyama. San Antonio lost the series opener 104-102 because Wemby was awful. He scored just 11 points and went 0-for-8 from 3-point range.
Then the Spurs lost Game 4 mostly because Wembanyama got that flagrant two. Otherwise, he has a +25 net rating in this series and Minnesota looks helpless when Wemby is on the floor.
Ultimately, San Antonio and Wembanyama are too big and athletic for the T-Wolves.
Prediction: Spurs 111, Timberwolves 99
_____________________________
Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants.
ESPN writer says Lane Kiffin should try to stop Louisiana from 'eradicating' black voting power
OutKick recently credited ESPN for pivoting away from identity politics and incendiary rhetoric. Most of the network’s most racially idolatrous commentators are gone, from Mark Jones to Clinton Yates, from Elle Duncan to Sarah Spain.
Still, a few holdovers remain. David Dennis Jr. is one of them.
This week, Dennis published an inflammatory article for ESPN.com and Andscape titled "Why Lane Kiffin’s ‘Ole Miss’ virtue signaling falls flat." The piece responded to Kiffin saying, and later apologizing for saying, that some black families were uncomfortable with their sons and grandsons playing for Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi.
And, oh, is it a doozy.
Dennis opens by declaring that he would refer to the school as "Ole Miss" only once.
"This is the last time I’ll use that name, by the way, as its origins are related to slavery as well," Dennis wrote.
He then accused Kiffin of not caring enough about "diversity."
"His actions before and since taking the University of Mississippi job haven’t shown any care about diversity, or that the lack thereof in Oxford bothered him. Instead, this just looks like virtue signaling to justify his controversial move to Baton Rouge, which is insulting to people actually affected by what the University of Mississippi represents."
Dennis appeared even more upset that Kiffin took a job at LSU, in a state he accused of trying to suppress the black vote.
"As [Kiffin] probably knows, Louisiana is ground zero for last month’s Supreme Court ruling that essentially gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965," Dennis continued. "The state is currently working to eradicate black representation from its congressional delegation. At the same time, there’s a groundswell movement calling for black athletes to avoid SEC schools because of the potential demolition of the Voting Rights Act."
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Eradicate black representation from its congressional delegation, huh? OutKick asked Dennis to elaborate on that claim. We did not hear back. We will update this story if we do.
He concluded the section by suggesting Kiffin should use his platform to stop the alleged "eradication."
"If Kiffin is so concerned with recruits being turned off by the anti-black nature of a state’s politics, he might want to hurry up and use his power to effect change. He may want to say something about preserving everyone’s right to equal representation," Dennis wrote.
You can read the full piece here. The article gained traction Thursday night after OutKick founder Clay Travis posted about it on X.
"ESPN, which is the only partner on SEC athletics, employing a writer who posts articles ripping coaches and stirring up racial angst through politics, is absolutely insane to me," Clay wrote alongside a screenshot of Dennis’ article. Dennis has apparently blocked him.
Insane, indeed.
And this is Dennis’ entire schtick. He’s a poor man’s Bomani Jones.
For a refresher, Dennis is the ESPN writer who claimed Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad campaign "mortified" him. Let that sink in for a moment.
Other highlights from Dennis’ résumé include publishing a hit piece on Hulk Hogan just hours after his death, arguing the wrestling icon should be remembered only as a racist.
"When you are a racist that is your legacy above all else," Dennis wrote. "Hulk Hogan died being known as a racist who also became famous as a professional wrestler."
The issue with Dennis’ framing is the contrast between how he eulogized Hogan compared to Kobe Bryant. Bryant faced a rape accusation and also made homophobic comments during his career. Yet Dennis mentioned neither in a fawning obituary titled "Remembering Kobe Bryant, a Man Who Never Trusted in Tomorrow," in which he praised Bryant’s character off the court.
OutKick also asked Dennis about that apparent inconsistency at the time. He never responded. He appears to be another commentator who treats word crimes more seriously than alleged violent crimes.
Clay Travis also pointed out how Dennis is bad for ESPN’s business by portraying SEC schools and fans as racist. He’s right. But Dennis has also undermined another ESPN property, the WNBA, by openly rooting against Caitlin Clark’s fans.
"I hope the people who say they are staying away from the WNBA now that CC is gone actually keep to their promise," Dennis posted on X in 2024. "These are about to be all-time series and their toxicity isn’t needed. Let us enjoy things."
For context, Clark’s fans made up a majority share of WNBA viewership in 2024.
Sports media reporter Ryan Glasspiegel summarized Dennis’ comments with the headline: "ESPN employee says he wants lower ratings for ESPN property."
At some point, you have to wonder why ESPN keeps Dennis on the payroll.
He’s predictable, unprofessional, and painfully one-note. His fixation on race colors nearly every argument he makes. He’s the exact type of commentator who drove viewers away from ESPN in the first place.
What’s more, ESPN regularly puts Dennis on flagship shows like "First Take," "SportsCenter," and "NBA Today." It’s one thing to let him post dubious, grievance-driven essays on "Andscape." It’s another to position him as a serious television voice on sports.
Specifically, Dennis has virtually no background covering sports. He has spent most of his career writing about race, civil rights and his father. We can't say for certain why ESPN hired him in the first place, though the timing — at the height of BLM and the George Floyd riots — cannot be a coincidence.
ESPN likely understands all of this, but also has to be cautious. Dennis seems like the type of person who would immediately claim racism and threaten legal action.
Still, the network should probably soon find a way to announce that David Dennis Jr. has "mutually parted ways" with the company.
Keeping him on the roster undermines all of the recent progress ESPN has made.
Maitland Ward calls Sydney Sweeney's OnlyFans scenes in 'Euphoria' 'disgusting and vile'
Former Disney star Maitland Ward is not happy with Sydney Sweeney's portrayal of an OnlyFans model in season three of "Euphoria."
During a recent interview with TMZ, the 49-year-old former "Boy Meets World" star and current adult film actress and OnlyFans creator took issue with the choices of Cassie, Sweeney's character, on the subscription-based website, particularly the scenes which show her sitting with a pacifier in her mouth and her hair in pigtails as she holds her legs open and is wearing sheer clothing.
"There's all sorts of stuff that you can't do," she said. "The whole child-baby thing is so disgusting … You just can't go into that whole underage thing like that. I mean, you can do it to an extent if it's very, very playful, like, you're an adult being childlike or something. But just the way it was handled was so gross, and it's just disgusting and vile."
She told TMZ the scenes go against the guidelines set forth by OnlyFans, because "you don't want pedophilia anywhere near pornography," later adding that it is possible to get kicked off the platform for breaking these violations.
SYDNEY SWEENEY FANS BEG 'EUPHORIA' TO END THE 'HUMILIATION RITUAL' AFTER SHOCKING NEW CASSIE SCENE
The third season of "Euphoria" sees Sweeney's character turning to OnlyFans, first to pay for her wedding, and then to make it on her own after finding out her husband, Nate Jacobs, played by Jacob Elordi, is broke and owes people millions of dollars shortly after saying "I do."
In addition to seeing her dress as a baby, viewers have watched as Sweeney dresses as a dog and drinks water from a doggy bowl, and in the most recent episode, she wore a low-cut polka dot bodysuit as she was jumping rope for her OnlyFans subscribers. She was also seen using a sex toy on herself, mailing used underwear to her subscribers and even sucking her own toe in a video.
Ward took issue with the way OnlyFans has been portrayed in these episodes, saying it "is making fun of OnlyFans creators" rather than "celebrating" them.
"It's saying how weird and creepy they are," insisted Maitland. "There's so many creators who are really working hard to build their brands every day, and this is really disingenuous."
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Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Ward.
As a former child actress, Ward recently shared her story in an episode of Investigation Discovery's "Hollywood Demons," telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview in April that "it was very therapeutic to tell the story at the age that I am now."
She also touched on what it felt like to be a young actress at the time, having found fame as Jessica Forrester in "The Bold and the Beautiful," and later as Rachel McQuire in the beloved ‘90s Disney TV show, "Boy Meets World."
Ward told Fox News Digital it often felt as if studios "wanted to mold and form these young actors into what they wanted them to be" and what they felt audiences would identify with.
WATCH: FORMER DISNEY STAR MAITLAND WARD SAYS YOUNG ACTORS WERE TREATED LIKE A ‘PRODUCT’ IN HOLLYWOOD
"I think it was such a factory kind of environment. Like you were just a product being sold, and you knew that yourself," she continued. "I mean, I didn't think anything was wrong at the time with anything that was going on, really. I mean, it felt ill at ease in my own body and all my feelings and stuff, but I thought that was just me being stupid. I have to be professional. I have to be part of that Hollywood machine. And that's really what it was."
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The actress began starring in adult films about seven years ago, and told Fox News Digital in March 2025 that she feels more respect in Hollywood after making that transition.
"I didn't get anybody coming out hating me for it or anything," she said of her decision to pursue pornography. "I really got a lot of positivity overall, which shocked everyone I knew. Everybody thought people were just going to rip me apart, and I was going to be judged and raked across the coals, but I got so much positivity and I think it's because I was so positive about it, and I was so happy about it."
Does UCLA's surprising top-10 recruiting class have legitimate juice or is it just fool's gold?
College football recruiting is a 24/7, 365-day endeavor, but during the offseason, the discussion gets turned up another notch entirely.
Some of you more casual college football fans may be thinking May is too early to be grabbing the scalpel and dissecting a recruiting class full of verbal pledges who won't even sign their papers until December at the earliest, but you could not be more wrong.
More often than not, how you are recruiting post-spring practice is usually a pretty solid indicator of how your class will finish in the winter.
Be forewarned, though. It takes more than just glancing at the number next to your team's logo and giving a thumbs up or thumbs down.
HOW NAME, IMAGE AND LIKENESS LAWS HAVE CHANGED COLLEGE SPORTS
Sure, it's nice to be ranked in the top 10 on recruiting sites in the month of May, but there are other factors involved when breaking down a class. Speaking of which, if you go to your favorite recruiting service and peruse the top 10, you'll see some familiar names littered throughout the page.
Recruiting mainstays like Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Miami, among others, are humming right along with their 2027 classes, but one logo may have stuck out to you.
That's right, the UCLA Bruins, fresh off a disastrous 3-9 season where they eventually fired head coach DeShaun Foster, are sitting all the way at No. 6 on the 247Sports composite rankings (they're 11th on Rivals, but let's not split hairs).
It looks like the boosters finally got serious about dumping some of that money they save for basketball into the football program's NIL budget, along with the fact that a young, successful coach like Bob Chesney may have injected some optimism into the fanbase.
A top-10 class would represent a nearly historic finish for the Bruins, as I could only find one instance of UCLA finishing in the top 10 (2013) since recruiting rankings became more homogenized.
PENN STATE'S JAMES FRANKLIN FACES SCRUTINY FOLLOWING BAD LOSS TO UCLA
But can they finish strong and bring home a recruiting class that can compete with the big boys of college football?
Let's start with the positives.
The Bruins have 18 commits in their 2027 class, and 10 of those are four stars. This puts their "blue chip ratio" above 50%, which is considered the baseline for a competitive recruiting class.
UCLA also has three top-100 prospects in their class, a pretty solid mark for any program in May.
While a decent blue-chip ratio and three top-100 recruits is a great start, there is a problem, and it comes in the form of something I mentioned above.
UCLA's 18 commits is a fairly high number, even in the NIL era of getting deals done early. This means their class doesn't have as much room to grow as some other classes with 11 or 12 commits currently in their class.
At 18 commits and a class average below 90 (89.85), the Bruins would have to fill the rest of their class out with top-100 or borderline five-star players to have a chance at finishing where they sit right now.
Take a look at their crosstown rivals for a good comparison.
The USC Trojans have 13 commits in their class currently, but sit two spots above the Bruins.
How is that possible?
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Well, the Trojans boast a class average of 93.39, more than 3.5 points higher than UCLA's class average. For context, a full class of 25 commits from last cycle with a similar average finished 13th (Washington), while everyone in the top five from the '26 cycle finished with a 91.90 or higher.
USC already boasts double the top-100 pledges in its class and even has a five-star already in the fold.
If I had to bet money on who finishes in the top 10 between the two Los Angeles schools, I'm taking the Trojans every day of the week with the data presented to me.
Is there a path to a top-ten class for UCLA?
Of course.
They could catch fire on the trail this summer and make some inroads with some elite prospects.
When you couple that with the possibility of having a stellar first season under Chesney, there's a chance the Bruins sneak into the upper echelon of recruiting rankings.
It's just not likely given how far along they are already.
Things change, and this new era of NIL-driven recruiting definitely shifts the timeline. But historical data would indicate the Bruins are more likely to finish in the top 15.
That's still an incredible class, especially considering the doldrums that have plagued the UCLA football program for the past decade plus.
Regardless, I will have both eyes trained on this Bruins recruiting class for the rest of the year.
It will be fascinating to see if they can buck the historical trends stacked against them, and knowing my reputation, I may have just reverse jinxed them into an elite 2027 class.
You're welcome, Bruins fans.
Jena Sims covers her butt with a bow at the SI Swimsuit party, the NFL saves us from Romo & is Star Wars dead?
We made it. We did it. Another week in the books. The LIBS let us get to another Friday, and another big weekend. We won ... again!
And now, we ride. Middle weekend of May. We're officially at the halfway point of the month. Hard to believe, but this time next week we'll be gearing up for Memorial Day weekend. The (un)official start of summer. Wasn't it just January? Thank goodness it's not anymore. Winter is miserable. Spring is overrated. Summer is the real start of the year. Let's roll.
Welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where Jena Sims wraps herself in a bow as Brooks Koepka attempts to stay in contention at the PGA Championship. He should be in good shape after this!
What else? I've got the best of the rest from a loaded week of #content, Shane Lowry had himself a MORNING in Philly and the NFL did us a major favor this year with the schedule release. You'll see.
Thank you, Goodell!
Grab you a pizza for National Pizza Party Day, and settle in for a Friday 'Cap!
I've got nothing to say about pizza. I know I usually offer up some sort of hot take right around here, but I don't really have one in terms of pizza.
It's delicious. Everyone loves it. A bad slice of pizza is better than 99% of other things in this world. It's like golf. A bad round of golf — and that's most of them — is better than a good day anywhere else.
Personally, my perfect slice includes sausage and banana peppers, but I'm not even going to attempt a Mount Rushmore here. It's too subjective. I will say, the people who use their napkins to soak up the grease before eating it are insane. My wife is one of them, by the way. It's exhausting. We're better than that.
You're already eating PIZZA. What are you trying to accomplish with that move? Soak up a few extra calories? It's like the people who order sweet potato fries instead of regular fries because they're trying to be healthy. A little cutesy for me. Let's act like Americans.
And now, let's start class ... with Brooks Koepka's wife, Jena Sims, putting on an absolute CLINIC at the SI Swimsuit launch party!
Big week for Sports Illustrated. We gave them a lot of crap for years because they went woke. If we're gonna criticize them, we also have to applaud them when they do something right.
To SI's credit, they seem to be righting the ship. Hilary Duff. Sophie Cunningham. Jena Sims. Olivia Dunne. It's never too late to right a wrong, folks. This is a good lesson for everyone.
Good to see Jena Sims back in the saddle. Also, good to see Brooks Koepka competing again at a major. The win is coming. I can feel it in my bones.
Speaking of, let's get to the best #content from a big week. We'll go ahead and start in Aronimink!
Another solid week. The internet never stops. It's a 24/7/365 machine, and you guys delivered once again. Nice work.
Couple thoughts ...
Good stuff.
Speaking of the Falcons, let's rapid-fire this Friday class into a big weekend of shenanigans. First up? Where do we land on this?
As a Dolphins fan, I can assure the NFL that they will regret putting Tua in primetime three times this upcoming season. That will be a disaster.
NFL’S GROSSLY EXPANDED NATIONAL SCHEDULE IS MAKING REDZONE AND SUNDAY TICKET LESS ESSENTIAL
But that's not my point here. What I really want to ask the class is ... what's your ideal starting time for your NFL team?
My Dolphins have no primetime games this season because they will most likely be terrible, but I'm fine with it. In fact, I'm more than fine with it. I prefer it.
For me, the ideal start time is 1 p.m. on Sundays. That's peak NFL football. I want my team playing in the 1 p.m. window every single week. Naturally, the Dolphins start this year with back-to-back 4:25 games, which are just awful.
So that's your homework for the weekend — what's the ideal start time for an NFL game? Let me know!
While we all may differ on that one, here's one thing we can all 100000% agree on:
YES! The NFL finally yanked the obligatory Mahomes/Allen matchup away from CBS and Tony Romo. Thank God. What a blessing.
For years we've been forced to listen to Tony Romo absolutely slobber over these two for three straight hours. It's miserable. It's insufferable.
Not anymore! That's the good news. The bad news?
NO!!!!!! We go from Romo to Collinsworth! What a disaster. Head on a swivel in that booth, Tirico! It's gonna get uncomfortable.
Finally, on the way out ... anyone excited for this new Star Wars movie coming out next week? The early reviews are in, and they are, generally, horrific. I wrote about it this morning if you really wanna get in the weeds.
But, it did get me thinking, did you even know there was a new Star Wars movie coming out? I didn't until about a month ago.
As a '90s kid who grew up during the prequels, the lack of hype around this "movie" is ... depressing.
My God. Those were the days. Remember the old Taco Bell/KFC/Pizza Hut restaurants? Absolute kingdoms of the '90s and early-2000s. And they were always ALL-IN on Star Wars. A new movie was their Super Bowl.
And now? Crickets. Sad.
OK, that's it for today — and this week. Good work, everyone. May is halfway over. June is quickly approaching.
Have a good weekend. Let's keep the momentum up and finish this month strong.
See you Monday.
OutKick Nightcaps is a daily column set to run Monday through Friday at 4 p.m. (roughly, we’re not robots).
Ideal time for an NFL game? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.
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