Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds rejected comedian Bill Maher's claims that Donalds lost key counties in the recent primary in part due to the racism within the state.
Appearing on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" Friday night, Donalds, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, pushed back on Maher's **** ertion that he lost parts of Florida's Panhandle because of the area's predominantly White electorate.
"You did lose the 'Redneck Riviera' badly," Maher said, referring to Donalds' losses in Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hardee, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Washington counties, rural counties where roughly 94% of Republican voters are White.
Stephen A Smith Admits Byron Donalds Could Make Him A Republican, Calls Him 'The Real Deal'
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., is the Republican nominee for Florida governor.

#donalds #counties

A Florida grand jury found that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration "misappropriated" $10 million in taxpayer money it diverted to a charity connected to his wife, but it declined to file criminal charges due to a lack of evidence indicating who specifically was responsible.
DeSantis on Thursday did not dispute the legitimacy of the secret grand jury report obtained and published online by CBS News Miami, but he insisted no laws were broken and said whoever leaked the sealed documents would face "consequences."
The Leon County grand jury completed its report in January on investigations into Hope Florida, the charity started in 2021 by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis. Despite the lack of charges, the report ignited a new round of criticism aimed at DeSantis and other top state Republicans over the charity receiving $10 million from a state Medicaid settlement intended to help poor children get health insurance.
David Jolly, the Democratic nominee for governor, called for the grand jury probe to be reopened. He faces Republican Byron Donalds in November. DeSantis, under Florida law, cannot seek a third term.
The Hope Florida charity is supposed to help financially struggling families connect with churches and aid groups to help keep them off publicly-financed ***** istance programs. The $10 million was instead moved to political action committees that used the money to oppose a 2024 statewide ballot measure that would have legalized marijuana for adults in the state.

#grand #jury

You might have more in common with billionaires than you think.
"It's funny, talking about my personal finances, because no one ever believes anything I say," said YouTube creator Jimmy Donaldson, more well-known as MrBeast, to the Wall Street Journal earlier this year. "I have negative money right now, I'm borrowing money. That's how little money I have."
The YouTuber is worth approximately $2.6 billion; much of that comes from equity in his $5 billion company, Beast Industries.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake. Here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP

#billion #donaldson #street #journal

You might have more in common with billionaires than you think.
"It's funny, talking about my personal finances, because no one ever believes anything I say," said YouTube creator Jimmy Donaldson, more well-known as MrBeast, to the Wall Street Journal earlier this year. "I have negative money right now, I'm borrowing money. That's how little money I have."
The YouTuber is worth approximately $2.6 billion; much of that comes from equity in his $5 billion company, Beast Industries.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake. Here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP

#street

High school football is back in the Gadsden area starting this week and the action is starting up on Thursday night.
The AHSAA season will start on Aug. 20 with five games in the Gadsden area before 14 games on Friday, Aug. 21, with Week 0 action. Six teams will start their season on Thursday, with one more final jamboree included before a full slate on Friday night as most of the area kicks off.
Thursday's slate is headlined by Gaston traveling over to Spring Garden, where The Gadsden Times will be covering. On Friday, Collinsville hosts Sylvania and Maxwell Donaldson will be at Gadsden City's opener with Oxford as the **** ans get back to the top classification.
The season runs through October before the playoffs start in November. The AHSAA Football championships are December 1-5 in Mobile, one of many changes this season. The biggest shakeup was the public-private split and ensuing fallout that created two classes and got rid of 7A.
Keep up with coverage closer to kick off on Thursday and Friday.

#thursday #season #area

As the leading lady in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," Marilyn Monroe became one of the most famous blondes in movie history. Few stars have a signature look that's quite as iconic as Monroe's — from her makeup to her fashion sense to, of course, her blonde bob. Interestingly, though, the star went through a stunning transformation to become the Marilyn Monroe everyone recognizes. While it may be hard to believe, before she found her signature look, Monroe wasn't a natural blonde bombshell. What might be even harder to believe? She may have looked better as a brunette.
Donaldson Collection/Getty
Before the Marilyn Monroe persona and the look that came along with it were born, she was known as Norma Jean Mortenson, a brunette from Los Angeles with a difficult childhood. Dreams of stardom led Monroe to Blue Book Model Agency, where she was reportedly encouraged to give her hair a total makeover, removing her widow's peak and, of course, bleaching it blonde. From there, Monroe's blonde locks went on to become some of the most famous blonde locks ever. Yet looking at photos of her before the change shows that she looked striking with her natural brown waves, too. It's easy to see why some may have thought that the light brunette shade Monroe had wouldn't make her stand out in a crowd quite the way her blonde hair ultimately did, but it gave her a softer, warmer look.
Read more: Rose Kennedy Schlossberg: The Facts About JFK's Eldest Grandchild
Donaldson Collection/Getty Images

#blonde #donaldson #blondes

Funeral arrangements have been made for Anthony Lake, the former Hendersonville offensive coordinator and quarterback who died on July 26, according to his obituary.
Hendersonville football coach James Beasley confirmed to The Tennessean on July 27 that Lake had died. Lake was 54.
A visitation will be held Aug. 2 from 1-3 p.m. at Hendersonville Memory Gardens, Funeral Home & Cremation Center, according to the obituary. Lake's celebration of life will take place immediately afterwards from 3-5 p.m. at the funeral home.
Lake is survived by his wife, Heather; his children Chase (Shawnna) Lake and Ashelyn Lake; his mother, Sharon Lake; his father, Ed (Lori) Lake and his sister Jennifer (Travis) Donaldson.
Lake was a longtime Hendersonville ***** istant who served most recently as the Commandos' offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. He led his alma mater to the 1988 TSSAA football Class AAA state semifinals. Hendersonville finished with a 10-4 record and a region championship under the late legendary coach Bill Derrick that year.

#hendersonville #funeral #july #home

Michigan basketball managed to hold onto most of its roster, but not everyone chose to stay in Ann Arbor under new head coach Mike Boynton Jr.
The Wolverines lost one player to the transfer portal in backup point guard LJ Cason, who had torn his ACL in the Illinois game this past season. Expected to be out for the majority, if not all, of the upcoming season, Cason was going to redshirt for the maize and blue before the NCAA's five-for-five ruling came down. But when Dusty May left Michigan for the NBA, Cason was the last player to decide if he was staying or going, and ultimately chose to leave.
Cason entered the transfer portal, and on Tuesday, he ultimately opted to go to Miami, as reported by Rivals' Joe Tipton.
Cason is the second player in as many years to leave Ann Arbor for Coral Gables. Starting point guard in May's first season coaching the maize and blue, Tre Donaldson, also transferred to the Hurricanes.
A huge spark off the bench, Cason was expected to be the starting point guard of the future for the Wolverines. He improved from scoring 4.3 points per game as a true freshman to 8.4 points per game in his sophomore year. He has three years of eligibility remaining now that five-for-five is enacted.

#point #wolverines

WASHINGTON (AP) — Byron Donalds, a Republican congressman running for Florida governor, on Monday announced legislation intended to prevent artificial intelligence data centers from driving up utility costs, the latest sign of a political backlash over the new technology.
The proposal, if passed by Congress, would require data centers to obtain all their electricity and water needs from private sources, rather than the power grid or public water systems. The idea aligns with an earlier, voluntary initiative from President Donald Trump.
"If you talk to these guys who are building these data centers, if it means that they have to pick up the utility costs, they're more than willing to do it," Donalds said in an interview with The ****** ociated Press. "It's in their interest to make sure that we can construct these centers, and I think the number one way you address and mitigate the concerns that people are having is to just ensure their utility bills aren't going up in the process."
Donalds' proposal is noteworthy coming from a candidate backed by pro-AI political action committees and Trump. The legislation comes during a rapid nationwide buildout of data centers to match growing demand for artificial intelligence systems. Major technology firms at the heart of the AI boom have quickly become some of the world's most valuable and watched companies, while the Trump administration has aligned itself with the industry's major players.
Several major tech companies developing AI infrastructure have committed to agreements with the Trump administration to cover the expenses of building new power sources rather than shifting the burden to residential households. But given the expected increase in demand, it's unclear if the voluntary agreement is legally enforceable.

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — An injury crisis in Australia's flyhalf ranks has resulted in Declan Meredith being selected to make his test debut for the Wallabies in the Nations Championship test against Six Nations **** list France on Saturday.
Meredith, a 27-year-old playmaker from Cairns in far north Australia who linked up with the Canberra-based Brumbies in 2023, will be the sixth different player to start a rugby test at No. 10 for Australia since July of last year.
Injuries to Carter Gordon, who started in last week's 33-31 loss to Ireland, and Ben Donaldson, who went on as a replacement and missed a late penalty goal that could have won the game, mean Meredith will join Brumbies teammate Ryan Lonergan in yet another halves pairing for the Wallabies.
In the last 12 months, Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh, James O'Connor, Tane Edmed and Gordon have been the starting playmaker for Australia.
Jock Campbell, who started at fullback last week in his first test in four years, will move to the bench as cover for Nos. 10 and 15, with Tom Wright returning at fullback in the only other change to the Wallabies' starting XV.

To paraphrase and twist the line, Jacksonville State shows why there's no crying or whining in college football.

The Gamecocks won nine games in their first two FBS seasons under former head man Rich Rodriguez, and took home the Conference USA championship in dominant fashion.

But before last season, RichRod left for West Virginia and took several of the 24 players who transferred - mostly key ones - with him.

Jacksonville State was starting over.
© Maxwell Donaldson / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Charles Kelly had never been a head coach, serving for years as a big-time defensive coordinator for several major programs.

He came in with a roster with an almost all new starting 22, and it would've been totally forgivable if the program took a major step back to regroup.

Nine wins, a return to the Conference USA Championship, and the second bowl win in three years.
This year's team needs a bunch of reworking and retooling, but ... whatever.

The challenges for this year's Gamecock team is nothing compared to what this program has overcome to get three straight nine-win FBS seasons in three years.
Head Coach: Charles Kelly (2nd year, 9-5)

Padraig Harrington repeated as U.S. Senior Open champion, shooting a 4-under 66 on July 5 to defeat runner-up Stewart Cink by four strokes at Scioto Country Club in Upper Arlington.
Harrington, who also won the tournament in 2022 and 2025, began the day one stroke behind Cink but got off to a fast start with birdies on the first two holes. He finished with five birdies in the round and was 12 under for the tournament.
Harrington received the winner's share of $800,000. Cink, who shot a 71 on July 5 to finish at 8 under, received $432,000 for finishing second.
Behind Cink were George McNeill at 6 under, Ian Poulter at 5 under and Retief Goosen, Paul Stankowski and Jamie Donaldson at 4 under.
See the final scoreboard here.

The backdrop is dramatic, and the timing divine. As the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, a host of veterans will battle it out on Golf Channel as part of the inaugural Liberty Cup.
The event, held at Liberty National Golf Club on July 4, will feature some of the best veteran golfers from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, coordinated through the Veteran Golf ***** ociation.
Among the special guests who took part in the event are Urban Meyer, John Smoltz, Gary Sheffield, Josh Donaldson, Ron Harper and John Starks.
The taped event will receive national attention with a two-hour Golf Channel special airing from 3-5 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 4. Featuring reporting and storytelling from Brandel Chamblee, Damon Hack and Jimmy Roberts, the broadcast will go beyond the competition itself, spotlighting the veterans who earned their place in the field and showcasing how the VGA uses golf to enrich the lives of veterans and their families.
The Veteran Golfers ***** ociation has grown into the nation’s largest competitive golf community for veterans and their families, serving more than 46,000 members across the country. Through more than 2,500 local tournaments each year, as well as regional championships and national events, the nonprofit organization provides opportunities for competition, camaraderie and connection, bringing together veterans of all eras and branches through a shared passion for golf.

SYDNEY (AP) — Flyhalf Sam Prendergast kicked a conversion with three minutes left, after replacement forward Thomas Clarkson scored a try, to give Ireland a 33-31 victory Saturday over Australia in their Nations Championship opener.
At a sold-out Sydney Football Stadium, the Wallabies led 24-19 at halftime after early tries by Dylan Pietsch and Jock Campbell. But the Irish stayed in touch through touchdowns from Cian Prendergast and Josh van der Flier, with Jamison Gibson-Park scoring a try on halftime to keep them in the match.
After the lead had changed seven times in the 10-try match, Ben Donaldson had the chance to give Australia the winning points, but he pushed a penalty attempt wide from more than 40 meters in the final seconds.
The match marked the start of the end of Joe Schmidt's coaching era at the Wallabies and close to the beginning of the Les Kiss era. Under Schmidt, Australia was winless in its tour to Britain late last year and was on a four-match losing streak.
Schmidt will stay on for two further Nations Championship tests against France in Brisbane next Saturday and vs. Italy in Perth on July 18. Kiss will officially take over on July 20 and is currently concluding his duties with the Queensland Reds Super Rugby side.

Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev didn’t know the most popular YouTuber in the world until recently.

Yakhyaev has drawn plaudits with a series of impressive finishes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. However, fans also noticed similarities between Yakhyaev and YouTube sensation Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast.
Yakhyaev recently revealed that he had no idea who MrBeast was before he caught wind of the online comparisons following his knockout win over Raffael Cerqueira at UFC Qatar this past November. After checking out MrBeast, Yakhyaev doesn’t think he looks like the YouTuber and isn’t enjoying the comparisons.

He even jokes that MrBeast needs to shave off his mustache, telling Red Corner MMA, “To be honest with you, I didn’t even know who he was. But after the fight in Qatar, when they started making those comparisons, I checked him out and found out that he’s some vlogger who’s popular on YouTube… I don’t think I look like him. People just imagine things. He needs to remove his mustache, I think… Not really [enjoying the comparison].”

Yakhyaev has finished nine of his 10 career wins so far, going past the first round only twice. The unbeaten Turkish light heavyweight has a combined fight time of 3:33 minutes in his three UFC wins so far.

McDonald's CEO just shared some bad news about the K-shaped economy

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski hinted that the K-shaped economy might be getting worse.
He said higher-income consumers are spending normally, while lower-income shoppers are cutting back more.
Kempczinski added that consumer sentiment is marked by "heightened anxiety."
America is not getting relief from its K-shaped economy problem anytime soon, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said.
In a Thursday earnings call, Kempczinski said that the macro environment and consumer sentiment are "certainly not improving, and it may be getting a little bit worse."

https://finance.yahoo.com/...

McDonalds is changing things up in an attempt to get you back to the Golden Arches. https://ow.ly/R5Bn50W1Uzz That story and more just a click away.

https://ow.ly/R5Bn50W1Uzz

I can’t see Bobby McDonalds live reaction to the Shannahan firing

Shrewd business people will take America to the cleaners during Trump’s rein of corruption, incompetence and ego tripping.

The good news is that he eats McDonalds and he’s 78, hehehe.